ISSF World Cup：Sheng Lihao Wins Gold

On the third competition day of the 2026 ISSF Shooting World Cup in Granada, Spain, Olympic champion Sheng Lihao delivered another composed performance in the men’s 10-meter air rifle final, winning the title with a total of 253.9 points—his second gold medal of the meet.

Ranked world No. 1 in the event, the 21-year-old Sheng owns multiple Olympic and World Cup medals and took on both individual and team events in Granada. On the opening day, he paired with Wang Zifei in the 10m air rifle mixed team final and helped stage a comeback victory, taking gold with a total of 504.3 points to secure China’s first gold medal of the stop.

Sheng was just as impressive in the individual event. In men’s 10-meter air rifle, Sheng and teammate Ma Sihan placed fourth and fifth in qualification, respectively, to advance to the final. Sheng did not force the issue early: after the first 10 shots he had 106.0 points, sitting in second place just behind the leader. But the Olympic champion showed strong composure and adjustment, moving into first after shot 12 and taking a 0.8-point lead. Over the next 11 shots, Sheng maintained elite-level consistency and held the advantage.

With a high-quality 10.6 on the final shot, Sheng sealed the win at 253.9 points. He averaged 10.58 points per shot across the final, underlining the form of the world’s top-ranked shooter by claiming two golds at the season-opening World Cup stop. China’s Ma Sihan finished fourth.

After the race, Sheng reflected on his two-gold haul in Granada: “I think this is a new beginning. I hope I can perform even better in the upcoming competitions.”