Victor Lindgren stayed strong to win his first title at the 2025 ISSF World Cup Final in Doha, Qatar, exorcising past demons to win the men's 10m air rifle.
Following a near-miss in the 2025 World Championship final, which saw him lose the lead in his last two shots, he held well against the strong-finishing Sheng Lihao, the Olympic champion and world bronze medallist. Bronze went to Istvan Peni, who came close to victory.
Qualification
Sheng Lihao would deliver a dominant performance in qualification with a total of 637.7, having just one of his five series below 106. It was just 0.2 points shy of his own qualification world record, set two years ago in Baku.
Copying the Olympic final, Victor Lindgren of Sweden was second, followed by the Indian pair of Arjun Babuta and Rudrankksh Patil. Norway's Jon-Hermann Hegg and AIN athlete Ilia Marsov were fifth and sixth, with Jack Rossiter of Australia and Istvan Peni from Hungary taking the last two spots.
These eight were relatively comfortable as two of the surprise stars from this year - world champion Maximilian Dallinger of Germany and new finals world record holder Danilo Sollazzo of Italy were more than a point behind in ninth and 10th. Abdullah Zain M Al-Sunaidi and Khalid Abdulrahman A H Sharshani of Qatar would also miss out.
Following a near-miss in the 2025 World Championship final, which saw him lose the lead in his last two shots, he held well against the strong-finishing Sheng Lihao, the Olympic champion and world bronze medallist. Bronze went to Istvan Peni, who came close to victory.
Qualification
Sheng Lihao would deliver a dominant performance in qualification with a total of 637.7, having just one of his five series below 106. It was just 0.2 points shy of his own qualification world record, set two years ago in Baku.
Copying the Olympic final, Victor Lindgren of Sweden was second, followed by the Indian pair of Arjun Babuta and Rudrankksh Patil. Norway's Jon-Hermann Hegg and AIN athlete Ilia Marsov were fifth and sixth, with Jack Rossiter of Australia and Istvan Peni from Hungary taking the last two spots.
These eight were relatively comfortable as two of the surprise stars from this year - world champion Maximilian Dallinger of Germany and new finals world record holder Danilo Sollazzo of Italy were more than a point behind in ninth and 10th. Abdullah Zain M Al-Sunaidi and Khalid Abdulrahman A H Sharshani of Qatar would also miss out.
The Final
All the talk may have been about Sheng Lihao in the morning, but Victor Lindgren was the one showing his quality in the first competition stage. After 10 shots, he led the way with a total of 105.2. Jon-Hermann Hegg sat second after a more consistent second series of five, having a total of 104.9. Istvan Peni's 104.7 kept him close, followed by the slow-starting Rudrankksh Patil of India on 104.5 and Sheng on 104.1. Arjun Babuta was then on 103.8.
A chasm had formed from them to Ilia Marsov and Jack Rossiter, with the Australian scoring thrice below 10. Marsov had a lead of 0.1 and ensured he would finish seventh with a 10.7 and 10.8, with Rossiter the first to exit the competition.
It was fine margins at the top, as Lindgren held on to the lead, with Patil moving into second place with two 10.7s, showing the momentum was swinging in his favour, now just 0.2 off the lead. Istvan Peni remained in third and near to the leader, but Hegg scored 10.2 and 10.3 to drop to fourth, just ahead of Sheng and Babuta.
Babuta would follow up with a 10.1 and 10.4, leaving him adrift in sixth before the next elimination as Sheng and Hegg pulled away. Lindgren's lead would grow with 10.7s, as Peni moved into second ahead of Patil.
All the talk may have been about Sheng Lihao in the morning, but Victor Lindgren was the one showing his quality in the first competition stage. After 10 shots, he led the way with a total of 105.2. Jon-Hermann Hegg sat second after a more consistent second series of five, having a total of 104.9. Istvan Peni's 104.7 kept him close, followed by the slow-starting Rudrankksh Patil of India on 104.5 and Sheng on 104.1. Arjun Babuta was then on 103.8.
A chasm had formed from them to Ilia Marsov and Jack Rossiter, with the Australian scoring thrice below 10. Marsov had a lead of 0.1 and ensured he would finish seventh with a 10.7 and 10.8, with Rossiter the first to exit the competition.
It was fine margins at the top, as Lindgren held on to the lead, with Patil moving into second place with two 10.7s, showing the momentum was swinging in his favour, now just 0.2 off the lead. Istvan Peni remained in third and near to the leader, but Hegg scored 10.2 and 10.3 to drop to fourth, just ahead of Sheng and Babuta.
Babuta would follow up with a 10.1 and 10.4, leaving him adrift in sixth before the next elimination as Sheng and Hegg pulled away. Lindgren's lead would grow with 10.7s, as Peni moved into second ahead of Patil.
Lindgren Slip Changes Fate, Sheng Valiant Against Elimination
Lindgren had started to put together a run of form that gave him a nice cushion in case of any slip-ups - and that came on shot 15 when he scored a 9.9. His 10.6 to follow up maintained his lead, but that 0.7 gap to the Hungarian was now just 0.1.
Babuta shot well in his last series, but would leave the competition in sixth, but it was a tremendous effort from Sheng, as the Olympic champion scored 10.8 and 10.7 to move into fourth, while Hegg scored 10.4 and 10.2, putting him in the bottom spot by a gap of 0.4. Patil's gap to Sheng was now reduced to 0.1 too.
After shot 17, there was just 0.7 between the five remaining athletes as Hegg opened with a 10.6. A 10.5 to follow up meant Patil had to match him to avoid a shoot-off. The Indian's 10.6 was enough to stay in the top four. Sheng's 10.5 and 10.7 moved him onto the podium for the first time. Peni and Lindgren would match each other with a 10.4, before the Swede's 10.8 bettered Peni's 10.7 on the second.
But it was a moment of brilliance that seemed to swing the momentum of the final. Peni's 10.7 to Lindgren's 10.4 would give the Hungarian the outright lead and he added a 10.9 to the Swede's 10.7 to take a lead of 0.3.
Meanwhile, Sheng and Patil both scored a 10.8 and the Chinese's 10.5 ensured he would remain in the top three as Patil shot a 10.7, just 0.1 away from a shoot-off.
Lindgren had started to put together a run of form that gave him a nice cushion in case of any slip-ups - and that came on shot 15 when he scored a 9.9. His 10.6 to follow up maintained his lead, but that 0.7 gap to the Hungarian was now just 0.1.
Babuta shot well in his last series, but would leave the competition in sixth, but it was a tremendous effort from Sheng, as the Olympic champion scored 10.8 and 10.7 to move into fourth, while Hegg scored 10.4 and 10.2, putting him in the bottom spot by a gap of 0.4. Patil's gap to Sheng was now reduced to 0.1 too.
After shot 17, there was just 0.7 between the five remaining athletes as Hegg opened with a 10.6. A 10.5 to follow up meant Patil had to match him to avoid a shoot-off. The Indian's 10.6 was enough to stay in the top four. Sheng's 10.5 and 10.7 moved him onto the podium for the first time. Peni and Lindgren would match each other with a 10.4, before the Swede's 10.8 bettered Peni's 10.7 on the second.
But it was a moment of brilliance that seemed to swing the momentum of the final. Peni's 10.7 to Lindgren's 10.4 would give the Hungarian the outright lead and he added a 10.9 to the Swede's 10.7 to take a lead of 0.3.
Meanwhile, Sheng and Patil both scored a 10.8 and the Chinese's 10.5 ensured he would remain in the top three as Patil shot a 10.7, just 0.1 away from a shoot-off.
Last Few Shots See Peni Drop and Lindgren Regain Composure
The fine margins once again added to the drama with three athletes left. Peni's lead would evaporate as quick as it came, scoring a 10.0 in his first shot. Lindgren's 10.7 gave him the lead, while Sheng's 10.6 brought him level with the Hungarian.
Effectively in a shoot-off, Peni scored 10.5, but Sheng's quality under pressure shone through again with a 10.7 to move into the top two.
Lindgren led by 0.4 with two shots to go, and would score 10.5 on his penultimate shot. Sheng's 10.6 closed the gap marginally. Lindgren, who lost the world final on the last series, knew his rival would shoot well - and he did. Sheng's 10.7 but the pressure on the Swede, but he pulled it out the bag with a 10.8, pumping his fist once the score flashed up. Often just missing out when coming head-to-head with Sheng, the 2023 world champion Lindgren claimed the ISSF World Cup Final title.
Peni's bronze was his sixth World Cup Final medal, a great show of consistency over his career. Sheng won his second medal in his second appearance, after winning on his debut last year. Lindgren's only appearance previous to this saw him finish 12th in Doha two years ago.
All results and information from the 2025 ISSF World Cup Final can be found here.
The fine margins once again added to the drama with three athletes left. Peni's lead would evaporate as quick as it came, scoring a 10.0 in his first shot. Lindgren's 10.7 gave him the lead, while Sheng's 10.6 brought him level with the Hungarian.
Effectively in a shoot-off, Peni scored 10.5, but Sheng's quality under pressure shone through again with a 10.7 to move into the top two.
Lindgren led by 0.4 with two shots to go, and would score 10.5 on his penultimate shot. Sheng's 10.6 closed the gap marginally. Lindgren, who lost the world final on the last series, knew his rival would shoot well - and he did. Sheng's 10.7 but the pressure on the Swede, but he pulled it out the bag with a 10.8, pumping his fist once the score flashed up. Often just missing out when coming head-to-head with Sheng, the 2023 world champion Lindgren claimed the ISSF World Cup Final title.
Peni's bronze was his sixth World Cup Final medal, a great show of consistency over his career. Sheng won his second medal in his second appearance, after winning on his debut last year. Lindgren's only appearance previous to this saw him finish 12th in Doha two years ago.
All results and information from the 2025 ISSF World Cup Final can be found here.