At the ISSF World Cup 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan, two remarkable Australian shooters claimed gold medals. James Willett won the men’s trap shooting event, while Penny Smith secured the silver medal in the women’s competition on Sunday.
James Willett, a two-time Olympian and previous gold medal winner at the World Championships, struggled during qualifiers and finished fifth with a score of 121. However, he redeemed himself during the medal round by delivering an incredible performance and claiming first place with a score of 46. He missed just one shot out of 30 in the last six series to secure his victory. This marked his first individual gold at the ISSF World Cup since Acapulco 2019. Filip Marinov from Slovakia took the silver medal with a score of 44, while Jean Pierre Brol Cardenas from Guatemala claimed bronze with a score of 36.
On the other hand, Penny Smith started her campaign strong by winning first place in qualifiers with an impressive score of 116. She maintained her lead until the fifth series when she landed just two out of her five shots, resulting in her loss to Lebanon’s Bassil Ray. Ray claimed gold with a score of 44, leaving Smith with silver as she tallied 40 points. Erica Sessa from Italy secured bronze with a score of 36. This silver medal added to Smith’s impressive record at ISSF World Cup events, bringing her total tally to eleven medals, including six golds, three silvers, and two bronze medals.
