Hu Kai Wins All Four ISSF World Cup Legs
China's Hu Kai took his first ISSF World Cup gold medal in the men's 10m air pistol in Buenos Aires and by the end of that month of April, he had won the opening two legs of the World Cup season.
He was one of a few athletes who had started with a 100% record in one event, and would add his third in Munich, after holding off a strong challenge from Kazakhstan's Valeriy Rakhimzhan.
Some who had matched his three wins from three record opted to miss Ningbo in the fourth and final leg, but Hu kept his eye focused on doing what no athlete had done before - four wins from four in one event at the ISSF World Cup.
His closest rivals in the Ningbo final would be his teammate You Changjie and Switzerland's Jason Solari, but would win the gold, denying any upset. While he would lose out to Samrat Rana for the world title, winning silver instead, he would end the season with a gold medal at the ISSF World Cup Final.
China's Hu Kai took his first ISSF World Cup gold medal in the men's 10m air pistol in Buenos Aires and by the end of that month of April, he had won the opening two legs of the World Cup season.
He was one of a few athletes who had started with a 100% record in one event, and would add his third in Munich, after holding off a strong challenge from Kazakhstan's Valeriy Rakhimzhan.
Some who had matched his three wins from three record opted to miss Ningbo in the fourth and final leg, but Hu kept his eye focused on doing what no athlete had done before - four wins from four in one event at the ISSF World Cup.
His closest rivals in the Ningbo final would be his teammate You Changjie and Switzerland's Jason Solari, but would win the gold, denying any upset. While he would lose out to Samrat Rana for the world title, winning silver instead, he would end the season with a gold medal at the ISSF World Cup Final.
All-American Podium in Women's Skeet in Lima
Kim Rhode is one of the greatest skeet shooters of all time and is no stranger to the gold medal, but it is rare to see one nation dominate like the United States did this season in the women's skeet.
Of the 12 podium spots across the four ISSF World Cups, the American trio of Rhode, Dania Vizzi and Samantha Simonton occupied eight of them - but the pick of the bunch came in Lima, Peru.
All three were tied on 19 from their first 20 targets, before Simonton took a one-shot lead over Rhode at target 40, with Vizzi now far behind and eventually finishing third.
Simonton missed two of her last 20 to Rhode's one, meaning they went to a shoot-off - won by the veteran. Simonton would get her win in the end in Lonato, and at the ISSF World Championship in Athens and the ISSF World Cup Final in Doha.
Kim Rhode is one of the greatest skeet shooters of all time and is no stranger to the gold medal, but it is rare to see one nation dominate like the United States did this season in the women's skeet.
Of the 12 podium spots across the four ISSF World Cups, the American trio of Rhode, Dania Vizzi and Samantha Simonton occupied eight of them - but the pick of the bunch came in Lima, Peru.
All three were tied on 19 from their first 20 targets, before Simonton took a one-shot lead over Rhode at target 40, with Vizzi now far behind and eventually finishing third.
Simonton missed two of her last 20 to Rhode's one, meaning they went to a shoot-off - won by the veteran. Simonton would get her win in the end in Lonato, and at the ISSF World Championship in Athens and the ISSF World Cup Final in Doha.
Pellielo Ends 16-Year Wait for ISSF World Cup win at home in Lonato
Giovanni Pellielo is one of Italy's finest shooting sport athletes, boasting a record of four Olympic medals in the men's trap and four world titles in the event too.
Now 55, he is considered a legend in shotgun, but had last won an ISSF World Cup gold medal back in 2009 in Minsk.
After qualification in Lonato, in the final leg, he placed third, meaning the host nation would have representation in the final. In fact, they held three of the six positions thanks to the top six finishes of Mauro de Filippis and Massimo Fabbrizi.
Fabbrizi would be the first out in sixth, while De Filippis was joint top of the standings with one miss from 25 alongside the Olympic bronze medallist Matthew Coward-Holley from Great Britain. Pellielo was third with a total of 23, recovering from two early misses.
And he would not miss for the rest of the competition, finishing on a score of 48, having struck 43 targets down in a row. Coward-Holley would take silver and De Filippis the bronze. A great day for Italy, and a welcome return to form for one of the best.
Giovanni Pellielo is one of Italy's finest shooting sport athletes, boasting a record of four Olympic medals in the men's trap and four world titles in the event too.
Now 55, he is considered a legend in shotgun, but had last won an ISSF World Cup gold medal back in 2009 in Minsk.
After qualification in Lonato, in the final leg, he placed third, meaning the host nation would have representation in the final. In fact, they held three of the six positions thanks to the top six finishes of Mauro de Filippis and Massimo Fabbrizi.
Fabbrizi would be the first out in sixth, while De Filippis was joint top of the standings with one miss from 25 alongside the Olympic bronze medallist Matthew Coward-Holley from Great Britain. Pellielo was third with a total of 23, recovering from two early misses.
And he would not miss for the rest of the competition, finishing on a score of 48, having struck 43 targets down in a row. Coward-Holley would take silver and De Filippis the bronze. A great day for Italy, and a welcome return to form for one of the best.
Peng Breaks World Record on ISSF World Cup Debut
It can be difficult to keep up with who is the latest prodigy coming out of the Chinese national team as they seem to come in bunches every season, but one sat above the rest, the 16-year-old Peng Xinlu.
After winning two silver medals at the Asian Championships on her international debut, she was back in China for the fourth leg of the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol in the women's 10m air rifle.
Missing from the national team that day was Wang Zifei, who had won all three legs so far and even broke the world record in Lima. Not only did Peng live up to the expectations for another Chinese gold, but exceeded them.
The only athlete able to keep close contact with her after the first competition stage was Norway's Jeanette Hegg Duestad, but even she could not match the excellence of the teenager on the day, who scored six 10.8s and one 10.9 in her 14 elimination shots. She set a new mark to beat: 255.3. What a way to announce your arrival.
It can be difficult to keep up with who is the latest prodigy coming out of the Chinese national team as they seem to come in bunches every season, but one sat above the rest, the 16-year-old Peng Xinlu.
After winning two silver medals at the Asian Championships on her international debut, she was back in China for the fourth leg of the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol in the women's 10m air rifle.
Missing from the national team that day was Wang Zifei, who had won all three legs so far and even broke the world record in Lima. Not only did Peng live up to the expectations for another Chinese gold, but exceeded them.
The only athlete able to keep close contact with her after the first competition stage was Norway's Jeanette Hegg Duestad, but even she could not match the excellence of the teenager on the day, who scored six 10.8s and one 10.9 in her 14 elimination shots. She set a new mark to beat: 255.3. What a way to announce your arrival.
Sollazzo Smashes World Record Against The World's Best
Ningbo provided many memorable performances and for Italian Danilo Sollazzo it was an unexpected gold medal and a new world record of 255.0 in the men's 10m air rifle.
In a field that boasted Olympic champion and world record holder Sheng Lihao of China, Olympic silver medallist Victor Lindgren of Sweden and the consistent Hungarian Istvan Peni, there was quality throughout, but a strong start from Sollazzo in the first competition stage put him in good stead, with a total of 106.1 from a possible 109.0.
Five 10.8s and one 10.9 meant that even the high-scoring Sheng could not come close enough to win the gold and keep his world record. He took silver with a score of 253.5, a tremendous effort.
But not as tremendous as Sollazzo, who put in the performance of his career. Having narrowly missed the medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and having just missed the gold at the 2022 ISSF World Championship, Sollazzo came good on the day in Ningbo - a great result for him in 2025.
Ningbo provided many memorable performances and for Italian Danilo Sollazzo it was an unexpected gold medal and a new world record of 255.0 in the men's 10m air rifle.
In a field that boasted Olympic champion and world record holder Sheng Lihao of China, Olympic silver medallist Victor Lindgren of Sweden and the consistent Hungarian Istvan Peni, there was quality throughout, but a strong start from Sollazzo in the first competition stage put him in good stead, with a total of 106.1 from a possible 109.0.
Five 10.8s and one 10.9 meant that even the high-scoring Sheng could not come close enough to win the gold and keep his world record. He took silver with a score of 253.5, a tremendous effort.
But not as tremendous as Sollazzo, who put in the performance of his career. Having narrowly missed the medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and having just missed the gold at the 2022 ISSF World Championship, Sollazzo came good on the day in Ningbo - a great result for him in 2025.