The ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol is set to return to Cairo, Egypt, with 720 athletes from 72 Member Federations entered - including 15 defending champions from 2023.
Action will take place at the Egypt International Olympic City in the capital city, with 22 individual titles on the line, as well as four mixed team gold medals across rifle, pistol and target sprint disciplines.
Aside from the 10 Olympic events, there will be gold medals awarded in the 50m rifle prone, 300m rifle distances, 25m standard and centre fire pistol, and target sprint, including the open category 300m standard rifle event.
Action will take place at the Egypt International Olympic City in the capital city, with 22 individual titles on the line, as well as four mixed team gold medals across rifle, pistol and target sprint disciplines.
Aside from the 10 Olympic events, there will be gold medals awarded in the 50m rifle prone, 300m rifle distances, 25m standard and centre fire pistol, and target sprint, including the open category 300m standard rifle event.
Men's Rifle
A year on from his heroics in Chateauroux, China's Sheng Lihao looks to complete the set in his trophy cabinet with a world title in the men's 10m air rifle.
To say it has eluded him would be dramatic - Sheng is just 20 years old, but has already won the gold medal in the Olympic Games, ISSF World Cup, ISSF World Cup Final and Asian Championships. He won mixed team gold in Baku last year, but will look to improve on his bronze when Cairo last hosted the World Championships in 2022.
All four of this season's World Cup winners - including Sheng - have entered. Another young starlet is Rudrankksh Patil from India, the 2022 world champion who beat the Chinese athlete to the title that day. He won the season opener in Buenos Aires and just missed the medals at the Asian Championships. AIN athlete Ilia Marsov won made the final in all three of his World Cup appearances this year and took gold in Munich, as well as European silver.
Perhaps the athlete who made the biggest impression was Danilo Sollazzo of Italy, who set a new world record on his way to victory in Ningbo. He was sandwiched between Patil and Sheng on the Cairo podium three years ago - the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Meanwhile, Sweden's Victor Lindgren, the defending champion and Olympic silver medallist, has not won any silverware this season, but has been solid on the World Cup circuit, making two finals.
Other contenders include European and Olympic bronze medallist Miran Maricic from Croatia, as well as Jiri Privratsky of Czechia, Hungary's Istvan Peni and Norwegian Jon-Hermann Hegg.
Privratsky, Peni and Hegg are among the versatile athletes who will be aiming for success in both the 10m and the 50m rifle 3 positions events. The Czech athlete has won six ISSF World Cup golds, but has yet to stand on the world podium and will fancy his chances this time. Peni has been similarly superb on the ISSF World Cup circuit and has four medals to his name this year. He has yet to win a world medal in an Olympic event, but will be among the favourites. Hegg finished the World Cup season well with victory in Munich and bronze in Ningbo and won world bronze in this event three years ago.
Two-time Olympic silver medallist and 2022 world champion Serhii Kulish of Ukraine will also feature, having also won the European title over 10m this year. Marsov has performed better over the 10m distance this year, but has a World Cup silver to his name in this event.
The defending champion Alexander Schmirl from Austria will return, as does the Olympic champion Liu Yukun from China and India's Olympic bronze medallist Swapnil Kusale.
A year on from his heroics in Chateauroux, China's Sheng Lihao looks to complete the set in his trophy cabinet with a world title in the men's 10m air rifle.
To say it has eluded him would be dramatic - Sheng is just 20 years old, but has already won the gold medal in the Olympic Games, ISSF World Cup, ISSF World Cup Final and Asian Championships. He won mixed team gold in Baku last year, but will look to improve on his bronze when Cairo last hosted the World Championships in 2022.
All four of this season's World Cup winners - including Sheng - have entered. Another young starlet is Rudrankksh Patil from India, the 2022 world champion who beat the Chinese athlete to the title that day. He won the season opener in Buenos Aires and just missed the medals at the Asian Championships. AIN athlete Ilia Marsov won made the final in all three of his World Cup appearances this year and took gold in Munich, as well as European silver.
Perhaps the athlete who made the biggest impression was Danilo Sollazzo of Italy, who set a new world record on his way to victory in Ningbo. He was sandwiched between Patil and Sheng on the Cairo podium three years ago - the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Meanwhile, Sweden's Victor Lindgren, the defending champion and Olympic silver medallist, has not won any silverware this season, but has been solid on the World Cup circuit, making two finals.
Other contenders include European and Olympic bronze medallist Miran Maricic from Croatia, as well as Jiri Privratsky of Czechia, Hungary's Istvan Peni and Norwegian Jon-Hermann Hegg.
Privratsky, Peni and Hegg are among the versatile athletes who will be aiming for success in both the 10m and the 50m rifle 3 positions events. The Czech athlete has won six ISSF World Cup golds, but has yet to stand on the world podium and will fancy his chances this time. Peni has been similarly superb on the ISSF World Cup circuit and has four medals to his name this year. He has yet to win a world medal in an Olympic event, but will be among the favourites. Hegg finished the World Cup season well with victory in Munich and bronze in Ningbo and won world bronze in this event three years ago.
Two-time Olympic silver medallist and 2022 world champion Serhii Kulish of Ukraine will also feature, having also won the European title over 10m this year. Marsov has performed better over the 10m distance this year, but has a World Cup silver to his name in this event.
The defending champion Alexander Schmirl from Austria will return, as does the Olympic champion Liu Yukun from China and India's Olympic bronze medallist Swapnil Kusale.
Women's Rifle
A stacked field is set for the women's 10m air rifle event, but the standout stars this season come from China - particularly the undefeated Wang Zifei. The 18-year-old won all three World Cup legs she participated in this year and the world junior champion will be looking to go back-to-back in junior and senior events. Deciding to miss the last leg in Ningbo, Wang's dominance was replaced by her younger teammate Peng Xinlu, who broke the world record on her way to gold. The third of the trio is the defending champion and 2023 world silver medallist in the 50m rifle 3 positions, Han Jiayu.
Olympic champion Ban Hyo-jin and Korean teammate Kwon Eun-ji will be contenders too, while two-time Olympic finalist Oceanne Muller from France could contend - as could Germany's Anna Janssen and Great Britain's Seonaid McIntosh, who is set to make her return to competition after taking time off following Paris 2024.
Switzerland's Nina Christen, Audrey Gogniat and Emely Jaeggi may all contend for the medals too. Gogniat won the Olympic bronze medal in 2024 and the trio seem to be the closest challengers to the Chinese contingent.
The Swiss are equally strong in the 50m rifle 3 positions event. The only change there sees Gogniat swapped out for Emely's older sister, Vivien Jaeggi. Christen is an Olympic champion in this event, while Emely Jaeggi has shown quality on the World Cup circuit. Such is the strength of the team, that Olympic champion, Chiara Leone, was not selected for the team.
Norway's Jeanette Hegg Duestad is in strong form, winning back-to-back World Cups in Munich and Ningbo after silver in Lima. A blip saw her finish second to Rikke Ibsen of Denmark at the European Championships, but looks to be one of the clear favourites for gold. Olympic silver medallist Sagen Maddalena from the United States, ISSF World Cup Buenos Aires winner Sift Kaur Samra of India and Czechia's Barbora Dubska have all looked strong this season too.
A stacked field is set for the women's 10m air rifle event, but the standout stars this season come from China - particularly the undefeated Wang Zifei. The 18-year-old won all three World Cup legs she participated in this year and the world junior champion will be looking to go back-to-back in junior and senior events. Deciding to miss the last leg in Ningbo, Wang's dominance was replaced by her younger teammate Peng Xinlu, who broke the world record on her way to gold. The third of the trio is the defending champion and 2023 world silver medallist in the 50m rifle 3 positions, Han Jiayu.
Olympic champion Ban Hyo-jin and Korean teammate Kwon Eun-ji will be contenders too, while two-time Olympic finalist Oceanne Muller from France could contend - as could Germany's Anna Janssen and Great Britain's Seonaid McIntosh, who is set to make her return to competition after taking time off following Paris 2024.
Switzerland's Nina Christen, Audrey Gogniat and Emely Jaeggi may all contend for the medals too. Gogniat won the Olympic bronze medal in 2024 and the trio seem to be the closest challengers to the Chinese contingent.
The Swiss are equally strong in the 50m rifle 3 positions event. The only change there sees Gogniat swapped out for Emely's older sister, Vivien Jaeggi. Christen is an Olympic champion in this event, while Emely Jaeggi has shown quality on the World Cup circuit. Such is the strength of the team, that Olympic champion, Chiara Leone, was not selected for the team.
Norway's Jeanette Hegg Duestad is in strong form, winning back-to-back World Cups in Munich and Ningbo after silver in Lima. A blip saw her finish second to Rikke Ibsen of Denmark at the European Championships, but looks to be one of the clear favourites for gold. Olympic silver medallist Sagen Maddalena from the United States, ISSF World Cup Buenos Aires winner Sift Kaur Samra of India and Czechia's Barbora Dubska have all looked strong this season too.
Men's Pistol
The story of the ISSF World Championship could be that of Hu Kai. The Chinese athlete became the first athlete to win all four legs of the ISSF World Cup in one season. He also added a gold medal at the Asian Championships and could go undefeated for the season in the event if he claims the men's 10m air pistol title in Cairo. What is even more exciting is a potential final showdown with his compatriot and Olympic champion, Xie Yu. He has not won a World Cup medal this season, but twice finished fifth and another time just missed the final in ninth.
Serbia's Damir Mikec, the Olympic mixed team champion, finished runner-up for silver in 2023 and will aim to add to his one gold and two individual silvers on the world stage. In Baku, he finished ahead of Bulgarian Kiril Kirov, who won bronze that day. Three of the silver medallists behind Hu on the World Cup circuit are to compete too:
AIN athlete Anton Aristakhov, Brazil's Rio 2016 Olympic medallist Felipe Wu and Kazakhstan's Valeriy Rakhimzhan. The Kazakh came closest to toppling Hu and ending his run in Munich. Switzerland's Jason Solari, who twice claimed bronze in Buenos Aires and Ningbo, is also set to feature alongside the Germans Christian Reitz and Robin Walter.
Olympic medallists behind Xie Yu in Chateauroux, Italians Federico Nilo Maldini and Paolo Monna, return as two of the favourites too. Other notable names include India's Varun Tomar, Turkey's Yusuf Dikec and Pavel Schejbal of Czechia.
Two of the World Cup winners in the men's 25m rapid fire pistol event return, with the notable absentee being France's Jean Quiquampoix. Czechia's Matej Rampula and Florian Peter will be in the mix - as will the second German of Emanuel Mueller. French hopes will lie with Clement Bessaguet, who consistently has made finals this season.
China's Su Lianbofan and Italy's Riccardo Mazzetti should not be ruled out either, following their World Cup silvers this season.
The story of the ISSF World Championship could be that of Hu Kai. The Chinese athlete became the first athlete to win all four legs of the ISSF World Cup in one season. He also added a gold medal at the Asian Championships and could go undefeated for the season in the event if he claims the men's 10m air pistol title in Cairo. What is even more exciting is a potential final showdown with his compatriot and Olympic champion, Xie Yu. He has not won a World Cup medal this season, but twice finished fifth and another time just missed the final in ninth.
Serbia's Damir Mikec, the Olympic mixed team champion, finished runner-up for silver in 2023 and will aim to add to his one gold and two individual silvers on the world stage. In Baku, he finished ahead of Bulgarian Kiril Kirov, who won bronze that day. Three of the silver medallists behind Hu on the World Cup circuit are to compete too:
AIN athlete Anton Aristakhov, Brazil's Rio 2016 Olympic medallist Felipe Wu and Kazakhstan's Valeriy Rakhimzhan. The Kazakh came closest to toppling Hu and ending his run in Munich. Switzerland's Jason Solari, who twice claimed bronze in Buenos Aires and Ningbo, is also set to feature alongside the Germans Christian Reitz and Robin Walter.
Olympic medallists behind Xie Yu in Chateauroux, Italians Federico Nilo Maldini and Paolo Monna, return as two of the favourites too. Other notable names include India's Varun Tomar, Turkey's Yusuf Dikec and Pavel Schejbal of Czechia.
Two of the World Cup winners in the men's 25m rapid fire pistol event return, with the notable absentee being France's Jean Quiquampoix. Czechia's Matej Rampula and Florian Peter will be in the mix - as will the second German of Emanuel Mueller. French hopes will lie with Clement Bessaguet, who consistently has made finals this season.
China's Su Lianbofan and Italy's Riccardo Mazzetti should not be ruled out either, following their World Cup silvers this season.
Women's Pistol
It will be an interesting battle for team gold and individual gold between China and India in the women's 10m air pistol. Suruchi Singh is the standout star this year, having won all three golds in her three World Cup appearances, choosing to pass on competing in Ningbo. There, her teammate Esha Singh took the gold medal. The third member is Manu Bhaker, the Olympic bronze medallist in this event who finished second behind Suruchi in Lima.
For China, Yao Qianxun has been the most consistent with three World Cup podiums, while Qian Wei and defending champion Jiang Ranxin were second and third in Buenos Aires behind Singh. While India have taken golds, China would emerge victorious in the individual and team event at the Asian Championships. Olympic champions in the 10m and 25m pistol events, Koreans Oh Ye-jin and Yang Ji-in, are also entered in both distances.
Other Aisan interest will lie with Iran's Haniyeh Rostamiyan and Shing Ho Ching of Hong Kong, while Serbia's Olympic mixed team champion Zorana Arunovic is one of the leading European stars, alongside Olympic silver medallist Camille Jedrzejewski of France, Veronika Major of Hungary and Doreen Vennekamp of Germany - who is the defending champion over 25m.
Vennekamp was joined on the podium that day by Olena Kostevych of Ukraine and Kristiana Agule of Latvia, who also return in a bid to make the podium again.
Yet, the star of this season in the 25m pistol event is Sun Yujie, who made her ISSF World Cup debut this season and has taken gold in all three 25m events she has competed in, before opting to miss Ningbo, allowing Yang to take the gold there. Sun and Yao Qianxun are the best hopes for China in this event, while Bhaker and Esha Singh will be hoping to join them in the podium places.
The likes of Jedrzejewski, Vennekamp and Major are also flexible across the distances and will fancy their chances.
India bring the largest team to Cairo with a squad of 40 athletes, closely followed by Egypt with 35 and Germany with 31. There are 28 AIN athletes and 27 from the Republic of Korea. Although trim in comparison, China and Switzerland will bring 21 and 20 athletes respectively, with high medal hopes.
The Opening Ceremony for the 2025 ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol takes place on 7 November, with the final day of competition being 17 November.
It will be an interesting battle for team gold and individual gold between China and India in the women's 10m air pistol. Suruchi Singh is the standout star this year, having won all three golds in her three World Cup appearances, choosing to pass on competing in Ningbo. There, her teammate Esha Singh took the gold medal. The third member is Manu Bhaker, the Olympic bronze medallist in this event who finished second behind Suruchi in Lima.
For China, Yao Qianxun has been the most consistent with three World Cup podiums, while Qian Wei and defending champion Jiang Ranxin were second and third in Buenos Aires behind Singh. While India have taken golds, China would emerge victorious in the individual and team event at the Asian Championships. Olympic champions in the 10m and 25m pistol events, Koreans Oh Ye-jin and Yang Ji-in, are also entered in both distances.
Other Aisan interest will lie with Iran's Haniyeh Rostamiyan and Shing Ho Ching of Hong Kong, while Serbia's Olympic mixed team champion Zorana Arunovic is one of the leading European stars, alongside Olympic silver medallist Camille Jedrzejewski of France, Veronika Major of Hungary and Doreen Vennekamp of Germany - who is the defending champion over 25m.
Vennekamp was joined on the podium that day by Olena Kostevych of Ukraine and Kristiana Agule of Latvia, who also return in a bid to make the podium again.
Yet, the star of this season in the 25m pistol event is Sun Yujie, who made her ISSF World Cup debut this season and has taken gold in all three 25m events she has competed in, before opting to miss Ningbo, allowing Yang to take the gold there. Sun and Yao Qianxun are the best hopes for China in this event, while Bhaker and Esha Singh will be hoping to join them in the podium places.
The likes of Jedrzejewski, Vennekamp and Major are also flexible across the distances and will fancy their chances.
India bring the largest team to Cairo with a squad of 40 athletes, closely followed by Egypt with 35 and Germany with 31. There are 28 AIN athletes and 27 from the Republic of Korea. Although trim in comparison, China and Switzerland will bring 21 and 20 athletes respectively, with high medal hopes.
The Opening Ceremony for the 2025 ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol takes place on 7 November, with the final day of competition being 17 November.