Kendre delivered an outstanding performance throughout the final, combining consistency with strong finishing shots to hold off a determined challenge from Aleinikov. The Indian athlete has emerged as one of the country's leading junior rifle talents, producing impressive results across domestic and international competitions. His victory in Suhl adds a coveted world title to his growing list of achievements and further strengthens India's reputation as a powerhouse in rifle shooting.
Competing as an Individual Neutral Athlete, Timofei Aleinikov pushed the eventual champion all the way to the final shot. The talented junior rifle shooter remained within striking distance throughout the contest and produced a series of excellent scores above 10.5 during the elimination stages. His silver medal follows a strong championship campaign and confirms his place among the world's elite junior rifle athletes.
The bronze medal went to Jens Oestli of Norway, who continued an exceptional championship after already featuring prominently in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions events. Oestli was one of the most consistent shooters throughout the final and once again demonstrated the quality that has made him one of the standout performers of the Norwegian junior programme. His podium finish adds another major international medal to an already impressive season.
India nearly placed two athletes on the podium, with Piyush Sharma finishing fourth after remaining in medal contention until the closing stages. The Indian athlete shot strongly throughout the final and further highlighted the depth of India's junior rifle squad.
Germany's Luis Eichenseer delighted the home crowd with a fifth-place finish after reaching the final following an excellent qualification performance. France's Gaspard Lesieur placed sixth, continuing his steady rise on the international circuit.
Tyler Wee of the United States finished seventh after adding another final appearance to an already successful championship that included a team gold medal in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Junior event. Austria's Patrick Entner, bronze medallist in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Junior competition, completed the final field in eighth place.
TEAM RESULTS
Earlier in the day, Germany secured the team title with a combined score of 1879.4, led by Luis Eichenseer's impressive 628.2. The United States claimed silver with 1878.8, finishing just six-tenths of a point behind the Germans, while Austria completed the podium with 1877.2. The team competition proved exceptionally close, with less than three points separating the top five nations. Norway finished eighth despite Jens Oestli posting one of the highest individual qualification scores of the day with 633.0, while India's team result was unfortunately recorded as DSQ despite Kendre and Divyanshu Dewangan both exceeding 626 points individually.
The result adds another gold medal to India's growing tally at the ISSF Junior World Championship Suhl 2026, which continues through 26 June with the world's best young rifle, pistol and shotgun athletes competing for junior world titles.
