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Vincent Hancock of the United States will seek a fourth Olympic title at Chateauroux after his victories at the Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Tokyo 2020 Games.
The 35-year-old from Eatonton in Georgia (pictured) has shown once again this season the laser-like focus that can earn him results close to perfection, and it seems he is locked on for another golden quest.
Hancock will be accompanied by 24-year-old team-mate Conner Prince, who won silver at last month’s final World Cup of the season in Lonato.
And he has plenty of other serious opposition, not least Jesper Hansen, the Dane who took silver in Tokyo, four shots behind Hancock’s Olympic record of 59.
The 43-year-old, who won the world title in 2013, showed his Paris 2024 preparations are in good order by winning at the Lonato World Cup and is currently world-ranked three.
Meanwhile Egypt’s 33-year-old Azmy Mehelba is heading to a fourth consecutive Olympics with huge reasons for confidence. Since the Tokyo 2020 Games Mehelba has won world gold and bronze.
Mehelba took silver at last November’s World Cup Final in Doha after losing an epic shoot-off 26-25 to Denmark’s Emil Petersen and he is currently ranked 15th after a season in which he won World Cup gold in Cairo.
The world rankings are topped by Germany’s European champion and Cairo World Cup bronze medallist Sven Korte, followed by Cairo World Cup silver medallist Ben Llewellin of Great Britain – who has not been selected for Paris 2024.
Home athlete Eric Delaunay has had a consistent season which leaves him one place below Hansen in the rankings. Delaunay finished seventh at the Rio 2016 Games and fifth in Tokyo three years ago, where he topped qualifying with an Olympic record of 124. France would love him to maintain that line of progression…
Delaunay topped Tokyo qualifying on a shoot-off after the 124 mark had been reached by both himself and Italy’s Tammarro Cassandro. The latter is very much in the mix again this year, world-ranked eight after a season in which he took gold at the Rabat World Cup, one place ahead of Hancock.
Also in the frame for Italy will be 29-year-old Gabriele Rossetti, the Rio 2016 champion, who is one place above his compatriot in the world list.
Chinese Taipei’s Meng Yuan Lee, who won the Asian title in January, is world-ranked fifth, one place above Daniel Korcak of the Czech Republic.
India’s hopes will be carried by the man who finished one place behind Lee in Jakarta, Anant Naruka, currently ranked tenth.
While Kuwait’s Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Abdullah Al-Rashidi has not made the team this time round, his country will be represented by Mohammed Aldaihani, who earned an Olympic Quota place in front of jubilant home fans as he took bronze in the Asian Championships and Qualifier staged in Kuwait City.
Look out also for Greece’s Efthimios Mitas, who shed tears of joy after winning a first world title in Baku last year at the age of 38, with Finland’s Eetu Kallioinen taking silver ahead of Mehelba, and Hancock having to settle for fourth place.
China will be looking to 27-year-old Lyu Jianlin to continue in the form he showed in winning gold at his first World Cup final in Baku in May, finishing six shots clear of Argentina’s 36-year-old Federico Gil, with Llewellin earning bronze.
Asia Olympic Qualification,Champs Shotgun – Kuwait City Jan
Meng Yuan Lee (TPE), Anant Naruka (IND), Mohammad Aldaihani (KUW)
ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun Cairo Jan-Feb
Azmy Mehelba (EGY), Ben Llewellin (GBR), Sven Korte (GER)
ISSF World Cup Shotgun Rabat Feb
Tammaro Cassandro (ITA), Vincent Hancock (USA), Daniel Korcak (CZE)
Olympic Qualification CAT XIV Shotgun Champs Santo Domingo Feb-March
Sebastian Bermudez Labbe (GUA), Luis Gallardo Oliveros (MEX), Jesus Balbao Gonzalez (MEX)
ISSF Final Olympic Qualification Championship Shotgun Doha April
Marcus Svensson (SWE), Peeter Juerisson (EST), Eduard Yechshenko (KAZ)
ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun Baku May
Lyu Jianlin (CHN), Federico Gil (ARG), Ben Llewellin (GBR)
European Championships Shotgun Lonato May
Sven Korte (GER), Anatolii Semenenko (AIN), Andriiy Kobzaruk (UKR)
ISSF World Cup Shotgun Lonato June
Jesper Hansen (DEN), Conner Prince (USA), Rashid Al-Athba (QAT)