The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Final will commence on Sunday in New Delhi, India.
As a late addition to the international calendar, this invitational event provides an opportunity for a small field of the world’s best athletes in pistol, rifle and shotgun, to compete in an event to close out competition for the year. To be eligible to compete, athletes must have finished the year with a world ranking in the top 6, be the title defender from the previous years World Cup Final, or a medallist from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Paris Olympian and current Men’s Trap world ranked number 1, James Willett, was one of two Australian athletes to receive an invitation to compete, and has arrived in New Delhi as he enters the final stages of preparation ahead of the World Cup Final.
Willett, who was a finalist in the Men’s Trap event at this year’s Olympic Games, won a World Cup gold medal in Azerbaijan in May, and a bronze medal at the World Cup in Morocco in February.
Reflecting on his year Willett says, “I am very proud to have finished the 2024 season as World Number 1. I am really pleased to have won a World Cup in Baku [Azerbaijan] and a bronze in Morocco.”
Having now arrived in New Delhi, Willett says, “The World Cup Final is a very prestigious event to qualify for and being able to shoot against the best in the world is a great privilege.”
Paris Olympic Women’s Trap bronze medallist Penny Smith also received an invitation to compete in the World Cup Final, but has chosen not to attend. Smith said, “I am not attending the 2024 World Cup Final in New Delhi because the Olympic Games was my priority event this year, at which i achieved a Bronze Medal. I’m having a well earned break in preparation for a bigger 2025 season.”
Willett’s competition will run from 15 to 17 October and can be followed via the ISSF website https://www.issf-sports.org/competitions/3326/results and YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/issfchannel.
