As July comes to an end, we reflect on another month of international and domestic competition, exciting announcements and World Cup medal wins!
Let’s recap July and have a look at what’s coming up. Plus, as always, some useful information and resources!
The ISSF Shotgun World Cup was held in Lonato Del Garda, Italy, between the 4th and 14th of July. Australia was represented by a team of 15, including 6 Skeet and 9 Trap athletes.
The Australian Team continued its tradition of success at Lonato, securing 2 gold medals across the competition.
Laetisha Scanlan won the gold medal in the Women’s Trap competition, after finishing qualification in third place with a score of 120 out of 125 targets. She kept her momentum moving into the finals, claiming the top prize with a score of 45 out of 50 targets. Local athlete Silvana Maria Stanco claimed the silver medal with a score of 43, whilst individual neutral athlete Lada Denisova placed third with 34.
Scanlan also teamed up with Mitch Iles to claim the gold medal in the Trap Mixed Teams event. The pair qualified for the gold medal match with a combined score of 143 out of 150, before beating the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Champions Fatima Galvez and Alberto Fernandez of Spain with a final score of 45 out of 50 targets over Spain’s 41, to claim the gold.
Australia placed 2nd overall on the World Cup medal tally, finishing just one silver medal behind team USA.
LINK TO OUR WEBSITE FOR FULL AUS TEAM RESULTS FROM LONATO
During the Lonato World Cup, Paris 2024 Olympic Bronze Medallist, Penny Smith joined the prestigious Wall of Olympic Medallists at the Trap Concaverde Shooting Range.
Smith became the fifth Australian Olympic medallist to be recognised on the wall, joining Catherine Skinner (Gold Women’s Trap Rio 2016), Deserie Baynes (Bronze Double Trap Atlanta 1996), Russell Mark (Gold Double Trap Atlanta 1996, Silver Double Trap Sydney 2000) and Michael Diamond (Gold Men’s Trap Atlanta, Gold Men’s Trap Sydney 2000).
On 31st July 2025, Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist, Penny Smith celebrated the one-year anniversary since her medal win.
To celebrate her success and reflect on the impact her medal win has had over the last 12 months, Shooting Australia sat down to chat with Penny.
WATCH THE INTERVIEW ON SHOOTING AUSTRALIA’S YOUTUBE PAGE
On Wednesday 30th July, Federal Parliament in Canberra recognised the 1980 Australian Olympic Team, 45 years since the controversial Games. This Olympic Team defied intense public pressure to take part in the Moscow Games. The Prime Minister and Opposition Leader were part of the contingent to celebrate the 1980 Olympic Team as well as acknowledge those athletes who were denied the opportunity to compete.
Around 50 Moscow Olympians, including Rifle athlete Yvonne Hill who now at the age of 87, was the oldest athlete to travel to Canberra to partake in the recognition. Yvonne was one of the only two Australian Shooting Athletes to compete in Moscow. Hill placed 11th overall in the 50m Rifle Prone Event (Open), and teammate, David Hollister (Deceased.) placed 15th.
Australian Olympic Committee President, Ian Chesterman said: “The parliamentary recognition will acknowledge the courage and resilience of the Olympians who faced intense public pressure not to compete, and the enduring hurt and pain many of them still feel to this day.”
Australian remains as one of only two countries to compete in every iteration of the Olympic Games.
This month, Shooting Australia, hosted its inaugural Trans-Tasman camp at the Brisbane International Shooting Centre. The camp brought together 15 para-athletes from Australia and New Zealand, with the goal of enhancing practical skills and fostering connections amongst international talent and national programs.
The camp was attended by 3 New Zealand and 12 Australian athletes, along with support staff and national coaches from the two largest national shooting sport programs in Oceania. The Australian attendees included current high-performance program athletes and national squad members, as well as talent transfer athletes, who have recently been introduced to target shooting sports and who have high-performance experience in other sports.
The camp also aligned with the BISC Open pistol and rifle competition, offering athletes access to a quality domestic competition. Additionally, this competition showcased the integration of the target shooting sports, demonstrating Shooting Australia’s continued efforts to increase the accessibility of domestic events for para-athletes, enabling men, women, able and para-athletes to compete alongside each other.
The Trans-Tasman camp was the first of an intended series of Paralympics Australia and Paralympics New Zealand endorsed events, which intend to increase the number and development of para shooting athletes in the Oceania region, ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games. Trans-Tasman camps will occur twice annually, alternating between Australia and New Zealand.
This month Shooting Australia announced its National Team for the upcoming ISSF Pistol & Rifle World Cup in Ningbo, China.
The announcements saw 2 pistol and 3 rifle athletes selected to represent Australia between the 7th and 15th of September 2025.
ISSF NINGBO WORLD CUP EVENT INFOMRATION
Shooting Australia joined Commonwealth Games Australia in celebrating the launch of their Alumni Recognition Program – Legacy Leaves.
This program will honour all 3605 past Australian Commonwealth Games athletes by planting a tree for every Commonwealth Games appearance made by an Australian athlete.
Shooting Australia recognises its 150 Commonwealth Games Alumni, 96 of whom are Commonwealth Games medallists.
This cohort of 150 athletes have made a total of 267 Commonwealth Games appearances meaning that 267 trees will be planted in their recognition.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ALUMNI RECOGNITION PROGRAM
The BISC Open was held between the 4th and 6th of July at the Brisbane International Shooting Centre and was the third, and final 2025 World Championships Selection Event for both Pistol and Rifle athletes.
Thank you to all competitors, officials, volunteers, Pistol Shooting Queensland, Queensland Target Sports, and the Brisbane International Shooting Centre for a great weekend of competition.
VIEW FULL BISC OPEN RESULTS – PISTOL
VIEW FULL BISC OPEN RESULTS – RIFLE
Shooting Australia is seeking expressions of interest from event hosts to be part of the 2026 Shooting Australia Domestic Endorsed Event series.
Shooting Australia will endorse a number of domestic events during 2026 across the ISSF and WSPS disciplines, encompassing Pistol, Rifle and Shotgun.
These endorsed events will be classified as:
For more information on how the events will be used, which events can be considered for endorsement, the minimum event delivery requirements, and to submit an expression of interest, please click on the link below.
Expressions of interest close Monday 4th August, 2025.
ENDORSED EVENTS EOI INFORMATION & REGISTRATION
Play by the Rules – making sport inclusive, safe and fair are hosting a FREE webinar on planning safe sporting events tailored to sports administrators at all levels.
Learn how to develop and implement a comprehensive safeguarding plan that covers every stage of your event – from preparation to post-event review.
This event will be hosted online, at 12:30pm AEST, Wednesday 6th of August 2025.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND REGISTER TO PARTICIPATE
QLD State Titles – Pistol
Where: Brisbane International Shooting Centre, Belmont, QLD
When: 1 – 3 August
Discipline: Pistol
QLD STATE TITLES – PISTOL EVENT INFORMATION
MISC GP (Tier 2)
Where: Melbourne International Shooting Centre, Port Melbourne, VIC
When: 15 – 17 August
Discipline: Pistol / Rifle
Entries close: 1 August
Jean & Peter Wray Championships (Tier 1)
Where: Melbourne Gun Club, Yering, VIC
When: 22 – 24 August
Discipline: Shotgun
Selection Overlay: 3rd and final World Championships Selection Event
Entries close: 18 August
JEAN & PETER WRAY CHAMPIONSHIPS EVENT INFORMATION
WA State Titles (Tier 2)
Where: Cockburn Fremantle Pistol Club, Treeby, WA
When: 29 – 31 August
Discipline: Pistol
Entries close: 22 August
WA STATE TITLES – PISTOL EVENT INFORMATION
Adelaide Cup (Tier 2)
Where: Wingfield Rifle Range, Wingfield, SA
When: 5 – 7 September
Discipline: Rifle
Entries close: 29 August
ADELAIDE CUP EVENT INFORMATION
SACTA State Titles (Tier 2)
Where: State Shooting Park, Buckland Park, SA
When: 27 – 28 September
Discipline: Shotgun
Entries close: TBC
SACTA STATE TITLES EVENT INFORMATION
2025 NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION CRITERIA
NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION LEADERBOARDS
ATHLETE AVERAGE PERFORMANCE SCORES
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!
SUBSCRIBE TO SHOOTING AUSTRALIA TV
