Among the athletes to watch are Olympic champions, World Cup winners and emerging challengers from across the globe. Here are five names to follow during the championships.
Zhang Changhong has been one of the standout athletes of the 2026 ISSF World Cup season, collecting three gold medals and two silver medals across three competitions.
He opened his gold-medal run in Granada, winning the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions, before claiming the Men's 10m Air Rifle title in Munich. He completed his collection of World Cup gold medals in Hangzhou, where he again triumphed in the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions, setting a world record with his result.
Hangzhou proved particularly successful for the Chinese athlete, who also won silver in both the Men's 10m Air Rifle and the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team events.
Zhang continued his strong form at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, winning silver in the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion will now be among the leading contenders to watch at the World Championship in Doha, where he will aim to add another major title to an already impressive season.
Chiara Leone arrives in Doha with one of the sport's biggest achievements behind her: Olympic gold in the Women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions at Paris 2024. The Swiss athlete demonstrated her ability to perform under pressure on the biggest stage, establishing herself among the leading names in international rifle shooting.
Leone came close to adding another major result to her record at the ISSF World Cup in Cairo, where she finished fourth in the Women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions, narrowly missing out on a place on the podium.
With Olympic gold already to her name and a strong performance in Cairo behind her, Leone will be aiming to challenge for a medal at the World Championship in Doha.
Rashid Saleh Al Athba will be one of the key athletes to watch for the host nation. The Qatari skeet athlete has enjoyed an impressive season, winning gold in the Skeet Mixed Team event at the Asian Championships in Doha and claiming the men's individual skeet title at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
He also secured gold in men's individual skeet at the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou in July, hitting 35 of his 36 targets in the final. These results underline his strong form heading into the World Championship.
With gold medals at continental and World Cup level this season, Al Athba will be aiming to deliver another strong performance on home soil, with the support of the Qatari crowd behind him.
Neeru Dhanda heads to Doha following a strong 2026 season, with international success in both individual and team events. She won gold in the Women's Trap at the ISSF World Cup in Lonato and claimed bronze in the Trap Mixed Team event at the World Cup in Almaty before that.
Dhanda continued her impressive form at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where she won two gold medals in trap shooting. These results have established her as an athlete to watch as she prepares to face the world's best in Doha.
With World Championship titles and Olympic quota places at stake, Dhanda will be looking to build on her successful season and challenge for another major result in Qatar.
Teh Xiu Yi arrives in Doha after an impressive run of results in the 2026 season, demonstrating her ability to compete across both pistol disciplines. She won gold in the Women's 25m Pistol at the ISSF World Cup in Cairo and followed that performance with silver in the Women's 10m Air Pistol at the World Cup in Shymkent.
Her results highlight her versatility and strong form ahead of the World Championship, where she will face a highly competitive international field.
With success in both 25m Pistol and 10m Air Pistol this season, Teh will be aiming to build on her recent performances and challenge for another strong result in Doha.