Unlike many pistol finals decided by an early leader, this contest remained wide open throughout. No athlete was able to establish a decisive advantage as the lead changed hands repeatedly, setting the stage for a dramatic finish between China’s Bu and the Republic of Korea’s Hong Suhyeon.
The opening stages reflected just how evenly matched the field was. Bu held a slender advantage after the first 10 shots with 50.8, only one tenth ahead of Hong. By the 20-shot mark, Bu had extended his lead to 102.3, but with several athletes still within striking distance, the medals remained far from decided.
As the eliminations began, Bu gradually separated himself from the chasing pack. Consistent scores above 10.3 allowed the Chinese shooter to absorb the occasional dropped shot while maintaining his lead. Hong continued to apply pressure, reducing the gap on several occasions, but Bu responded every time to finish with 244.4 points and secure the gold medal.
The victory marks one of the biggest achievements of Bu’s international career and continues China’s strong performances in the pistol events at the Hangzhou World Cup.
Hong claimed the silver medal with 240.1, confirming his emergence as one of the Republic of Korea’s promising pistol athletes. The Korean remained in contention throughout the final, producing a composed performance that kept the pressure on the eventual champion until the closing shots.
The bronze medal went to Vladimir Svechnikov of Uzbekistan with 217.6. A regular finalist on the ISSF circuit, Svechnikov once again demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure, earning another international podium finish for his country.
Fourth place was decided only after a shoot-off. Federico Nilo Maldini of Italy finished level with Svechnikov on 198.2 after the seventh elimination, but the Uzbek prevailed in the tie-break to secure the bronze medal. Maldini, the Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist, narrowly missed adding another ISSF World Cup medal to his growing collection.
China’s Xie Yu, the Paris 2024 Olympic champion, recovered from a difficult opening series to reach fifth place with 176.7, while So Seung Seob of the Republic of Korea finished sixth on 155.5.
Spain’s Martin Freije Torneiro placed seventh, ahead of Austria’s Richard Zechmeister, who completed the eight-athlete final.
The Men’s 10m Air Pistol final once again highlighted the depth of the international field, with Olympic medallists, established contenders and emerging talents battling until the final shots. On this occasion, it was Bu who found the perfect rhythm when it mattered most, delivering a memorable victory for the home crowd in Hangzhou.
