18-Year-Old Huang Yuting Achieves Grand Slam by Winning ISSF World Cup with Record-Breaking Performance
The ISSF World Cup Final kicked off in New Delhi, India on October 15th. In the women's 10m air rifle event, China's 18-year-old athlete Huang Yuting delivered an outstanding performance, securing the gold medal with a score of 254.5 points, setting a new world record in the final. This is her first individual gold medal at a World Cup Final.
After the Paris Olympics, the Chinese shooting team quickly transitioned into preparations for the Los Angeles Olympics. This ISSF World Cup Final is one of the most significant international competitions at the end of the year, and the Chinese team fielded its full roster of top athletes.
During the competition, Huang Yuting continued her strong form from earlier this year. In the preliminary round, she scored 633.3 points, ranking third among 11 competitors and advancing to the final. Another Chinese athlete, Han Jiayu, also made it to the final, ranking fifth with a score of 631.4 points.
In the final, after the first 10 shots, Huang Yuting led the eight finalists with a score of 106.2 points, 0.9 points ahead of the second-placed athlete.
Entering the elimination stage, Han Jiayu encountered difficulties with her 18th shot, scoring only 9.5 points, and finishing fifth with a total score of 188.5 points.
Huang Yuting, however, maintained her composure and led throughout the competition. In the final four shots, she solidified her advantage with two consecutive shots of 10.9 points. In the last round, Sonam Uttam Maskar of India scored 10.8 points, but Huang Yuting held her nerve and scored 10.3 points, finishing with a total of 254.5 points, securing the gold medal by a margin of 1.6 points. This result not only broke the world record previously held by her teammate Han Jiayu, but also set new world, youth, and national records for the women's 10m air rifle final. This victory lays a strong foundation for her preparations for the Los Angeles Olympic cycle.
It is worth noting that with this World Cup Final victory, Huang Yuting has completed the Grand Slam in her shooting career. She has now won titles in the World Championships, the Olympics, and the World Cup Final, following her victories at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"I am extremely happy," Huang Yuting said after the match. "This year, at the age of 18, has been a remarkable one in my life. Although this final was tough and challenging, I learned a lot. This gold medal will be another important milestone in my career."