The Olympic champion and former World Champion produced one of the finest finals ever seen in the discipline, finishing with 363.0 points to improve the previous World Record. In a contest where both athletes consistently shot at an exceptional level, Zhang remained composed through the decisive standing stage to write another chapter in his remarkable career.
The battle for gold was worthy of the occasion.
After the kneeling stage, Matvei Potapov of AIN held the lead with 104.9, narrowly ahead of Zhang’s 104.0, while Peni stayed within striking distance on 101.4. By the end of prone, Potapov still led on 208.9, but Zhang had reduced the gap to just 0.7 points with 208.2, as Peni climbed into contention on 205.9.
Everything changed in the standing position.
Zhang and Peni both opened the elimination stage with identical 51.9 series, gradually distancing themselves from the rest of the field. Shot after shot, neither athlete gave an inch. Zhang fired a succession of outstanding shots, including 10.7 and 10.8, while Peni matched him almost perfectly, refusing to let the Chinese shooter escape.
With only the final shots remaining, the crowd inside the range knew they were witnessing something special. Zhang maintained his composure under immense pressure, closing with 363.0 to establish a new World Record. Peni also surpassed the previous world-best mark, finishing just 1.3 points behind on 361.7, in what was one of the highest-quality finals in ISSF history.
The victory adds another major international title to Zhang’s already glittering résumé. The Chinese star won Olympic gold in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions at Tokyo 2020 and has consistently been among the world’s leading rifle athletes, renowned for his technical precision and ability to deliver on the biggest stage. Breaking the World Record in front of a home crowd made the triumph even more memorable.
Peni once again demonstrated why he remains one of the sport’s greatest competitors. The Hungarian has collected Olympic, World and European medals throughout his distinguished career and has long been recognised as one of the most consistent rifle shooters on the international circuit. His performance would have been enough to win almost any other final.
The bronze medal went to Matvei Potapov, who led the competition through the qualification stages before eventually finishing with 349.9. The AIN athlete remained among the front-runners throughout the final and secured his place on the podium after another strong international performance.
Jiri Privratsky of Czechia finished fourth with 338.1, followed by Norway’s Jon-Hermann Hegg in fifth. Hegg, a multiple ISSF World Cup medallist and one of the world’s leading prone specialists, stayed in medal contention until the later stages before ending on 326.7.
India placed two athletes in the top seven, with Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar taking sixth on 314.3 and Niraj Kumar finishing seventh with 303.4. Mark Pliushch of AIN placed eighth.
The Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions final will be remembered as one of the highlights of the ISSF World Cup Hangzhou 2026—a contest where two exceptional athletes pushed each other to extraordinary levels, culminating in a new World Record and an unforgettable victory for Zhang Changhong.