10M AIR PISTOL MEN
Robin Walter of Germany (pictured) is world No.1 going into the Paris 2024 Olympics, with the Italian whom he beat to World Cup Final gold in Doha last November, Paolo Monna, ranked second.
Both, however, will be aware of the Chinese challenge incoming, clearly indicated at the Baku World Cup in May when 24-year-old Walter took silver behind his contemporary, Xie Yu, with 28-year-old world champion Zhang Bowen earning bronze. Xie and Zhang – who finished sixth at the Tokyo 2020 Games - are the Chinese picks from the trials.
Also expected to be in the hunt in what looks like a very open contest will be the respective world silver and bronze medallists, Serbia’s Damir Mikec and Kiril Kirov of Bulgaria.
India have chosen not to pick 20-year-old Varun Tomar, who won the Asian title at the start of the year and earned an Olympic quota place in so doing, although they have included the Asian silver medallist, 23-year-old Arjun Cheema, who will represent them in this event alongside world No.14 Sarabjot Singh, who won gold at the concluding World Cup of the season in Munich ahead of China’s Shuaihang Bu and Walter.
Others to watch out for include the respective third and fourth-ranked world listers, European silver medallist Juraj Tuzinsky of Slovakia and Latvia’s Lauris Strautmanis, who took bronze and silver at the respective Cairo and Granada World Cups.
Republic of Korea’s Lee Wonho, world-ranked sixth and Yusuf Dikec of Turkey, one place below him, will also serious contenders, as will Monna’s compatriot Federico Maldini, who earned an Olympic quota place in winning at the Final Olympic qualifier in Rio.
Asia Olympic Qualification/Champs Rifle/Pistol – Jakarta Jan
Varun Tomar (IND), Arjun Cheema (IND), Lin Yaxi (CHN)
ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun Cairo Jan-Feb
Lim Hojin (KOR), Samuil Donkov (BUL), Lauris Strautmanis (LAT)
ISSF World Cup 10m Rifle/Pistol Granada Feb
Juraj Tuzinsky (SVK), Lauris Strautmanis (LAT), Bugra Selimzade (TUR)
European Championships 10m Rifle/Pistol Gyor Feb-March
Paolo Monna (ITA), Juraj Tuzinsky (SVK), Robin Walter (GER)
Olympic Qualification CAT XIV Rifle/Pistol Buenos Aires March-April
Diego Parra Vergara (CHI), Nickolaus Mowrer (USA), Tugrul Ozer (CAN)
ISSF Final Olympic Qualification Championship Rifle/Pistol Rio de Janeiro April
Federico Maldini (ITA), Uladzislau Dzemesh (AIN), Philipp Grimm (GER)
ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun Baku May
Xie Yu (CHN), Robin Walter (GER), Zhang Bowen, (CHN)
ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol Munich May-June
Sarabjot Singh (IND), Shuaihang Bu (CHN), Robin Walter (GER)