10M AIR PISTOL MIXED TEAM
As in the 10m air rifle mixed team event, China won gold when the pistol version made its debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Since partnering Pang Wei to victory in Japan, Jiang Ranxin, now 24, has become world 10m air rifle women champion, and she will defend the mixed title in Paris with new partner Xie Yu, also 24, individual winner at this year’s World Cup in Baku.
At last month’s Munich World Cup Jiang and Xie equalled the qualifying world record of 587 set in 2021 by India’s Manu Bhaker and Chaudhary Saurabh.
But another Indian pairing won the world title last year in the form of Esha Singh, then 18, and 17-year-old Shiva Narwal, who beat Turkey’s 50-year-old Yusuf Dikeç and 23-year-old Şevval Tarhan in the final.
The Indian challenge will be potent in Paris, given their individual athletes selected for the 10m air pistol individual events – Manu Bhaker, Rhythm Sangwan, Arjun Cheema and Sarabjot Singh.
Dikec and Tarhan, meanwhile, have underlined their serious potential this season by winning at the Final Olympic qualifier in Rio and (pictured) the Munich World Cup, beating Jiang Ranxin and Xie Yu.
Other likely contenders include the European champions, Olena Kostevych and Oleh Omelchuk, Mexico’s Andrea Ibarra Miranda and Carlos Gonzalez, gold medallists at the Championship of the Americas, and Germany’s Sandra Reitz and Michael Schwald, winners at the Granada World Cup.
Asia Olympic Qualification/Champs Rifle/Pistol – Jakarta Jan
India – Rhythm Sangwan, Arjun Cheema
ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun Cairo Jan-Feb
India – Rhythm Sangwan and Ujawal Malik
ISSF World Cup 10m Rifle/Pistol Granada Feb
Germany - Sandra Reitz and Michael Schwald
European Championships 10m Rifle/Pistol Gyor Feb-March
Ukraine - Olena Kostevych and Oleh Omelchuk
Olympic Qualification CAT XIV Rifle/Pistol Buenos Aires March-April
Mexico - Andrea Ibarra Miranda and Carlos Gonzalez
ISSF Final Olympic Qualification Championship Rifle/Pistol Rio de Janeiro April
Turkey - Sewal Tarhan and Yusuf Dikec
ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun Baku May
Turkey - Simal Yilmaz and Ismail Keles
ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol Munich May-June
Turkey - Sewal Tarhan and Yusuf Dikec