Hangzhou (China), July 2026 : Legendary American shooter Kimberly Rhode added another remarkable chapter to her illustrious career by capturing her 27th ISSF World Cup title in the women’s skeet event at the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou on Thursday. The three-time Olympic champion led a dominant performance by the United States, which secured both the gold and silver medals in the event.
The 47-year-old veteran produced a composed display throughout the final, maintaining her lead from start to finish before defeating fellow American Samantha Simonton 34-32 in a high-quality gold medal contest. The victory also marked Rhode’s 41st World Cup medal, further cementing her status as one of the greatest shooters in the history of the sport.
Despite the milestone, Rhode remained characteristically modest after the triumph.
“I guess this medal is the same as all the others. It’s not something we keep track of,” Rhode said. “It’s amazing to compete alongside so many talented athletes. Every year the standard keeps rising, and we all continue pushing each other. It has been an incredible season, and I’m delighted to be here.”
China celebrated success through Che Yufei, who claimed the bronze medal with 28 hits. The 27-year-old shooter secured only the second World Cup medal of her career and expressed satisfaction with her performance despite facing formidable competition.
“I’m very happy with the result. My opponents were extremely strong, and I believe I performed well today. There is still a gap between us, but I’ll continue working hard to close it and eventually surpass them,” said the former world junior champion.
Another Chinese shooter, Jiang Yiting, who topped the qualification round with an impressive score of 123, narrowly missed out on a podium finish after losing a tiebreak and eventually placed fifth. Jiang had earlier won a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Her compatriot Jiang Chaoyu finished seventh.
China added another medal later in the day when Lyu Jianlin, Jiang Yiting’s mixed-team partner from the Paris Olympics, secured the bronze medal in the men’s skeet competition with 29 hits.
In the women’s 50-metre rifle three positions event, Great Britain’s Seonaid McIntosh staged a dramatic comeback to clinch the gold medal. China’s Han Jiayu led after the kneeling and prone stages, but McIntosh delivered a superb standing performance to finish with 362.6 points, edging Han by a slender 0.3-point margin. Norway’s Jeanette Hegg Duestad claimed bronze with 347.6 points, while another Chinese shooter, Zhang Liyuan, finished fourth.
The men’s skeet title went to Qatar’s Rashid Saleh Al-Athba, who produced an outstanding performance that equalled the world record. After hitting his first 34 targets, he missed only his penultimate shot to finish with 35 hits, defeating Spain’s Jose Maria Mielgo Moneo by a single target. Peru’s Nicolas Pacheco Espinosa finished fourth behind China’s Lyu Jianlin.
The ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou continues until July 28, with medals in the women’s 10-metre air pistol and men’s 25-metre rapid fire pistol scheduled to be decided on Friday as the competition enters another exciting phase.
