On Tuesday, the Australian Team finished competition at the 2026 World Shooting Para Sports (WSPS) World Championships at the Changwon International Shooting Range in South Korea.
This year’s WSPS World Championships, one of the largest in recent history, welcomed 324 of the world’s best Para shooting athletes from 53 different countries, for six days of fierce international competition from the 7th to the 16th of September. The intensity at this year’s competition was also heightened by the fact that this event offered athletes their first opportunities to claim LA 2028 Paralympic Games quota spots.
Australia was represented at the 2026 WSPS World Championships by three Rifle athletes, including Scottie Brydon, Natalie Smith and Anton Zappelli, as well as Para Trap athlete, Nigel Young. The team was also supported by Shooting Australia’s Precision Program Manager and Para Lead, Catherine Berry, Para Development Coach, Elise Collier and Team Physio, Ben Frick.
Natalie Smith kicked off competition for the Australian Team in the R2 – Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event, finishing qualification in 24th with a score of 611.7. Maintaining her composure, Smith returned for the R8 – Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1 event, delivering a solid qualification score of 575-25x to qualify for the final in 8th position. Smith maintained her momentum into the final, climbing the leaderboard to eventually secure 6th place overall.
Scottie Brydon and Anton Zappelli kept the World Championships action going, in the R3 – 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1 competition. At the end of qualification Brydon claimed 23rd place with a score of 630.8, whilst Zappelli followed closely, finishing 25th overall with a qualifying score of 630.3.
Para Trap athlete, Nigel Young, made his World Championships debut in Korea, competing in the PT1 – Trap Seated SG-S event. Despite the intense pressure World Championships competitions create, Young maintained his composure throughout the qualification stage, producing a score of 93 out of 125 targets and after a shoot off, secured start position 7 as he advanced to the final. In a highly competitive finals field, which included a PT1 finals world record performance, Young eventually finished in 8th.
The Australian Team wrapped up the 2026 World Championships, with Brydon, Smith and Zappelli competing in the R6 – Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH1 event. Smith and Zappelli finished qualification in 19th and 20th place respectively, whilst Brydon claimed 35th.
Speaking to our athletes’ performances at the 2026 WSPS World Championships, Shooting Australia CEO, Adam Sachs, highlighted “The WSPS World Championships is an important benchmark event, and this competition has offered our athletes an invaluable opportunity to gain high-level international experience and to strengthen their capabilities ahead of future competitions and quota opportunities. We are keen to continue building on the success of our team in Korea, as we look towards the LA 2028 Paralympic Games.”
