As November comes to an end, we reflect on another month of intense international competitions and exciting announcements.
Let’s recap November and have a look at what’s coming up. Plus, as always, some useful information and resources!
2026 is going to be another year of incredible domestic competition.
The Shooting Australia 2026 Endorsed Event Calendar is now live.
Check it out the full 2026 calendar at the link below:
This month Shooting Australia released its Athlete Categorisation Policy for the LA 2028 Olympic/Paralympic cycle.
This document, which has been developed with and approved by the Australian Institute of Sport, aims to provide clear and consistent guidelines against which athletes will be nominated for categorisation in 2026 and beyond.
To learn more about the 2026 – 2028 Categorisation Policy and to access supporting explanatory information, please visit the links below:
SA ATHLETE CATEGORISATION POLICY
CATEGORISATION CRITERIA COMPARISON
ELIGIBILITY AND ASSESSMENT FLOWCHART
Shooting Australia is seeking expressions of interest from individuals who are interested in further developing their officiating skills and experience in ISSF and WSPS.
Shooting Australia will include up to 9 individuals (3 pistol, 3 rifle and 3 shotgun) in the 2026 Officiating Scholarship Program.
Expressions of Interest are now open and will close on Monday 8th December. Successful candidates will be notified by the 19th of December
To learn more about candidate eligibility requirements and how to apply for consideration, please visit the link below:
OFFICIATING SCHOLARHIP PROGRAM WEBPAGE
Shooting Australia is continuing to work closely with the ISSF and WSPS to better understand the time frames in which any new rules and finals formats for the LA2028 Olympic and Paralympic Cycle will be released and implemented.
From an ISSF perspective, it is likely new rules including finals formats will be ratified during an Executive Committee Meeting in December, and following the ISSF World Cup Final where the new proposed finals formats will be used.
Once the new rules are published, Shooting Australia will socialise the information and then work closely with athletes, officials and event hosts to ensure familiarity. It is likely there will be some online information sessions across all disciplines, as well as in person sessions as part of endorsed event programs.
A collaborative and informed decision will then be made on the most practical timeframe for implementation in the Shooting Australia Domestic Endorsed Events, ensuring event hosts have access to any required upgrades to software and/or equipment.
Shooting Australia’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on Thursday, 27th of November 2025, with the Board, Senior Management, and Members in attendance.
The AGM marked the conclusion of an important year of Board and governance evolution for Shooting Australia that captured:
During the AGM, Members voted on and elected a Board Member from three nominated candidates. Shooting Australia extends its congratulations to Mr Robert (Bob) Maddocks on his re-election to a second three-year term as an Elected Director. His ongoing commitment, contribution and stability are deeply appreciated.
Following the AGM, the Board convened to elect its new leadership team; President Mrs Deserie Baynes and Deputy President Mr James Kitching. Together, Deserie and James form a balanced leadership team guiding a skilled, diverse and forward-looking Board.
To hear from the new leadership team, read the full article at the link below:
This month, Shooting Australia also released its 2024/25 Annual Report.
Annual Reports are produced each year by Shooting Australia, highlighting the organisation’s activities and achievements over the last 12 months. The report also provides financial statements for the relevant period.
The 2024/25 Annual Report can be found at the link below:
SHOOTING AUSTRALIA 2024/25 ANNUAL REPORT
Between the 14th and 16th of November, Shooting Australia launched its inaugural Coach Development Program with a three-day ‘in-residence’ induction held at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.
This first of its kind pilot 12-month program aims to enhance learning for coaches in pistol, rifle and shotgun across both able and para disciplines through realistic applications within the international shooting discipline systems. The program will consist of camps, competitions and online learning as well as developing a community of practice for coaches in the shooting community.
To read the full article and learn more about the Coach Development Program, please visit the link below:
This month, Australian Rifle athlete, Jack Rossiter, received and accepted his invitation to attend the ISSF World Cup Final to compete in the Men’s 10m Air Rifle event.
Rossiter joins Women’s Trap athletes, Laetisha Scanlan and Penny Smith to round out the Australian Team.
To receive an invite to attend the 2025 ISSF World Cup Final, athletes were required to either win a world cup or be selected based on their position on the ISSF Ranking system.
Shooting Australia congratulates the three athletes who have received invitations to compete at the 2025 ISSF World Cup Final.
To see more and to keep up to date with all the ISSF World Cup Finals action, check out the Shooting Australia Facebook Page below:
SHOOTING AUSTRALIA FACEBOOK PAGE
The 2025 ISSF Pistol/Rifle World Championships took place between the 6th and 18th of November in Cairo, Egypt. The event, the largest competition of the year, brought together more than 700 athletes from 72 federations.
Australia was represented at the Pistol / Rifle World Championships by a team of 4, including, 2 pistol and 2 rifle athletes.
Rifle athletes Jack Rossiter and Olivia Cartwright competed in three events including 10m Air Rifle, 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team and 50m Rifle 3 Positions. Whilst pistol athletes Ellie Rudder and Alison Heinrich both competed in the 25m Pistol Women’s event.
Precision Senior Performance Coach and Team Leader, Petr Kurka reflected on the World Championships campaign, highlighting, “Overall, our small teams’ performance in Cairo was positive. With two juniors (Olivia and Ellie), and all three women competing at their first senior World Championships, this was a valuable experience for their development.
“You could see that all of our team members were doing their best to perform well and represent Australia professionally. Most importantly, what we learned from this championship will be very useful for our preparation for the 2026 World Championship in Qatar – the first Olympic quota event for the LA28 Games.”
To read the full article, click the link below:
Shooting Australia congratulates Penny Smith, the recipient of the 2025 Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) Coaches Award for the Shooting program.
This award recognises an athlete’s performance both on and off the field of play, as well as their commitment to team values, sporting culture, and the VIS values.
Following her bronze medal win at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Penny delivered an exceptional series of performances throughout the 24th of September 2024 to 5th of October 2025 award eligibility window. Her achievements in Shotgun Trap competition included National, Commonwealth and State titles, along with three gold medals and one silver on the international circuit across both individual and team events.
We congratulate Penny on an outstanding 2025.
Shooting Australia congratulates Shotgun athlete Benjamin De Pedro, the recipient of the La Trobe University Half Blue Award for 2025. Benjamin received this award in recognition of his outstanding sporting achievements during the period between the 1st of October 2024 and 3rd of October 2025.
The Blues Awards is a prestigious tradition originating from Oxford and Cambridge University, where students are awarded for outstanding contributions to university sport. It has since been adopted by universities around the world, and at La Trobe University, Blues Awards recognise the highest calibre of sporting performances of student athletes and the exemplary service to sport made by affiliated clubs and individuals.
See more on our Facebook Page at the link below:
SHOOTING AUSTRALIA FACEBOOK PAGE
Over the next month, Sport Integrity Australia will be hosting free webinars for athletes, officials and sports community members.
The free upcoming webinars include:
Member Protection: Managing Sideline Behaviour
This webinar will equip club leaders and officials with practical strategies to manage sideline behaviour and uphold a safe, respectful sporting environment for all.
When: Wednesday / 3rd December 2025 at 12:30pm AEDT
To learn more about this webinar and to register your interest, click the link below.
ISSF World Cup Final
Where: Doha, Qatar
When: 4-9 December
Discipline: Pistol, Rifle & Shotgun
ISSF WORLD CUP FINAL 2025 EVENT INFORMATION
SASA Junior Championships (Tier 2)
Where: Wingfield Rifle Club, Wingfield, SA
When: 13 December
Discipline: Rifle
SASA JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS EVENT INFO
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!
