Shotgun World C’ships: Raiza, Bhavtegh miss finals as USA win both skeet gold
The ISSF World Championship Shotgun 2025 kicked off at Athens’ Malakasa Shooting Range and finished with a clean sweep for the United States.
Samantha Simonton, the world‑number‑one, won the women’s skeet event with a perfect 57‑shot final, while veteran Vincent Hancock came out on top among men with 59 hits. The U.S. duo also took home the team titles, leaving no country in contention for a gold medal in any skeet race.
Simonton dominated the qualifiers, topping the field with 122 hits. Mexico’s Gabriela Rodriguez finished second in the final after a shoot‑off, and Sweden’s Victoria Larsson earned bronze. In the men’s competition, Hancock ran a flawless 124‑hit qualification and then capped it off with 59 in the final to claim his fifth world championship gold.
India’s shooters had mixed fortunes. Olympian Raiza Dhillon placed 16th in the women’s final with 116 hit, and teammates Parinaaz Dhaliwal (44th) and Ganemat Sekhon (47th) each finished with 110 hits. In the men’s race, Bhavtegh Singh Gill finished 38th with 119 hits, while two other Indian athletes—Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Anantjeet Singh Naruka—pushed hard in the final round but ultimately finished outside the top 50.
The U.S. women’s team, consisting of Simonton, Kimberly Rhode and Dania Jo Vizzi, won gold with a combined score of 358. Cyprus, Slovakia and India rounded out the podium and ranking list.
The U.S. men’s team won their event with 365 shots, followed closely by Italy (363) and host Greece (361). India’s men’s team ended in 16th place with a total of 351 hits.
The 2025 championship highlights the U.S. dominance in skeet shooting, while Indian competitors gained valuable experience on the world stage. The event concluded in Athens, bringing excitement for fans and setting the stage for the next major shotgun competition.
Source: ianslive
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