As 2025 comes to a close, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the year.
I am proud of the work that our athletes and staff have done to effectively transition from the Paris to the LA Olympic/Paralympic Cycle. I am confident that the foundations we have put in place will set us up for success in 2026 as we head into the start of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympc qualification process. I am looking forward to seeing everyone in action in domestic and international competition in the new year.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the wider target shooting community for their support of Shooting’s High Performance Program and the significant contribution they make to the Domestic Endorsed Event Series and range access that supports athletes in their daily performance and training activities.
On behalf of Shooting Australia, I wish everyone a very safe and happy Christmas period and hope you can take some time to rest and reset ahead of 2026.
The Shooting Australia office will be closed for the holiday break from 19th of December 2025 to the 5th of January 2026.
The 2026 National Team Selection criteria is now available on the Shooting Australia website. These documents outline the criteria required for athletes to be selected to a National Team including World Cups and Junior and Senior World Championships.
Any questions can be directed to Shooting Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Adam Sachs, via email adam@shootingaustralia.org or mobile +61 417 785 115.
The 2026 National Team Selection Criteria are available via the link below.
2026 NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION CRITERIA
2026 is going to be another year of incredible domestic competition with a wide spread of events available across pistol, rifle and shotgun, and including ISSF and WSPS.
The Shooting Australia 2026 Domestic Endorsed Event calendar can be found via the link below.
Each year Shooting Australia recognises the performances and achievements of Australian athletes through it’s Awards of Excellence. The 2025 award finalists have now been announced and have been aligned with the two High Performance Programs; Shotgun Progam and Precision Program (Pistol and Rifle, able and para).
Awards will be presented to this years winners at:
Shotgun – ACTA Trap Nationals Friday 9th January
Precision – Sydney Cup #1 Friday 20th February
Other awards that will be presented in recognition of both athlete achievements and wider community contributions will include:
Awards will be posted to any winner not in attendance at these events.
The 2025 High Performance Program Award Finalists include:
Precision Program Female Junior Athlete of the Year – Charlotte Bland, Olivia Cartwright, Ellie Rudder
Precision Program Female Senior Athlete of the Year – Alison Heinrich, Natalie Smith
Precision Program Male Junior Athlete of the Year – James Cane, Benjamin Paulino
Precision Program Male Senior Athlete of the Year – Jack Rossiter
Shotgun Program Female Senior Athlete of the Year – Kiara Dean, Laetisha Scanlan, Penny Smith
Shotgun Program Male Junior Athlete of the Year – Benjamin De Pedro, Lucas Furlan, Fletcher Richardson
Shotgun Program Male Senior Athlete of the Year – Thomas Grice, Mitch Iles
Ashley Adams Athlete of the Year – Thomas Grice, Jack Rossiter, Penny Smith
2025 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE CRITERIA
The ISSF has been working through an arduous and complex process to update the Rules and Regulations for the LA Olympic Cycle. The draft 2026 ISSF Rules and Regulations has now been approved by the ISSF Council and released to the wider community. You can familiarise yourself with the draft via the link below.
While the official publication date will be January 2026, Shooting Australia is working closely with the ISSF to obtain clarity around the timeframes for the implementation and transition to the 2026 ISSF Rules and Regulations. Once this information is available, we will work closely with officials and event hosts to determine an appropriate date for implementing the new rules in Domestic Endorsed Events. In doing so, we will take into account:
In an essential collaborative approach, we will work closely with Coaches, Athletes, Officials and Event Hosts through both online and in-person sessions to provide education and familiarisation, ensuring the effective implementation of the 2026 ISSF Rules and Regulations.
This month ISSF President, Luciano Rossi, ISSF Vice President, Cath Fettell, and Sport Director, Peter Underhill, joined Shooting Australia CEO, Adam Sachs and the Queensland Government and Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee, in Brisbane, to strengthen collaboration between organisations ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The ISSF delegation was also joined by Queensland’s Minister for Sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Tim Mander, Brisbane 2032 Chief of Sport, Kit McConnell and GIICA’s Richard May to discuss plans for the development of required facilities for Brisbane 2032.
The Australian Team’s international competition campaign came to a close earlier this month, with the ISSF World Cup Final marking an end to the 2025 international season.
Held in Doha, Qatar between the 4th and 9th of December, this year’s World Cup Final was attended by 129 world-class athletes across pistol, rifle and shotgun events, representing 33 international member federations. An ‘invitation only’ competition, athletes secured eligibility through several international performance pathways, including winning gold at a World Cup held in 2025, achieving a podium place at the World Championships, or qualifying through their ISSF World Ranking. The host nation also received invitations for its athletes to round out the 12 starts in each event.
Australia was represented by three athletes, including Jack Rossiter, who on the back of his most successful international year to date, qualified for the Men’s 10m Air Rifle event. Laetisha Scanlan and Penny Smith both qualified in Women’s Trap based on World Cup Gold medal wins in 2025. The team was also accompanied by Precision Senior Performance Coach, Petr Kurka and Shotgun Performance Coach, Renae Birgan.
To read the full story and hear from our Aussie athletes, visit the link below:
2026 Air Tour – Ruse Grand Prix
Where: Ruse, Slovenia
When: 14-19 January
Discipline: Pistol & Rifle
2026 Air Tour – Meyton Cup
Where: Innsbruck, Austria
When: 16-20 January
Discipline: Rifle
2026 Air Tour – H&N Cup
Where: Munich, Germany
When: 20-25 January
Discipline: Pistol & Rifle
ACTA ISSF Nationals – Trap (Tier 1 Event – Junior World Championships Selection, Senior World Cup Selection
Where: Echuca Clay Target Club, VIC
When: 7-11 January
Discipline: Shotgun
ACTA NATIONALS – TRAP INFO AND HOW TO ENTER
WA State ISSF Qualifier (Tier 2 Event)
Where: WA Gun Club, WA
When: 14-15 February
Discipline: Shotgun
WA STATE ISSF QUALIFIER EVENT INFO
Sydney Cup #1 (Tier 1 Event – Junior World Championships Selection)
Where: Sydney International Shooting Centre, NSW
When: 19-23 February
Discipline: Pistol & Rifle
SYDNEY CUP #1 EVENT INFO AND HOW TO ENTER
Don’t forget to subscribe to the Shooting Australia TV on YouTube where you will be able to re-watch domestic event coverage, hear from athletes – post competition, and more! Best of all, it is free!
