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Key Points

Team USA completely dominated the skeet events at the ISSF World Championships in Athens. Vincent Hancock claimed his fifth individual world title while Samantha Simonton led the women's sweep for the Americans. Indian shooters Raiza Dhillon and Bhavtegh Singh Gill both missed qualifying for their respective finals despite some strong rounds. The United States completed a remarkable clean sweep by winning both individual and team gold medals in men's and women's skeet.

Key Points: USA Sweeps Skeet Golds as Indian Shooters Miss Finals

  • Vincent Hancock wins fifth individual World Championship gold with 59/60 final score
  • Samantha Simonton dominates women's skeet with 122 qualification and 57 final hits
  • Raiza Dhillon finishes 16th with 116 hits missing final qualification
  • Bhavtegh Singh Gill ends 38th despite strong 25,25 start in qualification rounds
2 min read

Shotgun World C'ships: Raiza, Bhavtegh miss finals as USA win both skeet gold

Vincent Hancock and Samantha Simonton lead USA to clean sweep of all four skeet gold medals at World Championships while Indian shooters fall short of finals.

"The day belonged to the United States - ISSF World Championship Report"

New Delhi, Oct 12

Bhavtegh Singh Gill and Olympian Raiza Dhillon missed out on spots in their respective finals as the skeet events at the ISSF World Championship Shotgun 2025 concluded at the Malakasa Shooting Range in Athens, Greece, on Sunday.

The day belonged to the United States, as World No.1 Samantha Simonton and four-time Olympic champion Vincent Hancock claimed the women’s and men’s skeet gold medals, respectively, leading to a remarkable clean sweep of all four skeet gold medals for Team USA, with the men's and women's team gold medals also going to them.

In the women’s skeet final, Simonton shot 57 to take gold ahead of Mexico’s Gabriela Rodriguez, who secured silver with 54 hits, while Sweden’s Victoria Larsson clinched bronze with 44. Earlier in the qualification, Simonton had topped the field with 122 hits, followed by Rodriguez on 120 (+8 in shoot-off) and Larsson, who claimed the sixth and final qualification spot with 119 (+3), edging out veteran Kimberly Rhode and Slovakia’s Vanesa Hockova.

Among the Indians, Raiza Dhillon finished 16th with a total of 116 hits (23, 22, 24, 22, 25), while Parinaaz Dhaliwal (21, 23, 22, 21, 23) and Ganemat Sekhon (21, 22, 24, 21, 22) finished 44th and 47th, respectively, with 110 hits each.

In the women’s team event, the American trio of Samantha Simonton, Kimberly Rhode, and Dania Jo Vizzi (15th individually) clinched gold with a combined score of 358. Cyprus (349) took silver, Slovakia (348) secured bronze, and India finished eighth with 336.

In the men’s competition, Vincent Hancock shot 59 in the final to claim his fifth individual World Championship gold. Czechia’s Daniel Korcak won silver with 55, while Denmark’s Emil Kjeldgaard Petersen took bronze with 45. Hancock had earlier topped the qualification with 124 out of 125 hits.

India’s Bhavtegh Singh Gill shot 22 in his final round to finish 38th with 119 hits (25, 25, 24, 23, 22). Olympian Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Asian champion Anantjeet Singh Naruka both ended their campaigns strongly with perfect 25s in the final round, finishing 53rd and 83rd respectively with totals of 117 (24, 21, 25, 22, 25) and 115 (24, 24, 20, 22, 25).

Team USA also claimed men’s team gold with 365 hits, followed by Italy (363) and hosts Greece (361). India placed 16th with a combined score of 351.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Vincent Hancock is just incredible - 5 world championship golds! 🎯 But our Indian shooters showed some good rounds too. Mairaj and Anantjeet finishing with perfect 25s in their final rounds shows the potential is there. Need more consistent performance across all rounds.
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Sarah B
The gap between top shooters and our athletes is concerning. While USA dominates with clean sweep, we're finishing 8th and 16th in team events. Need better training facilities and international exposure for our shooters. The talent is there but needs proper nurturing.
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Arjun K
Raiza finishing 16th is actually not bad considering the world-class competition! Shooting 116 in qualification shows she's close to the top level. Just needs that extra push to make finals. Keep supporting our athletes! 🇮🇳
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Michael C
The inconsistency in scores is what's hurting Indian shooters. One round 25, next round 21. Need mental conditioning coaches to handle pressure better. USA's consistency across all rounds is what makes them champions.
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Kavya N
Shooting is one sport where India has consistently produced world-class athletes. This is just one tournament - our shooters will learn and come back stronger for Asian Games and Olympics! 🥇 Don't lose hope, these are building blocks for future success.

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