The 2026 World University Championship Shooting kicked off today (October 27) at the Gongxi Shooting Range. The first day of competition featured the 10m Air Rifle events, with Czech shooter Adela Zrustova claiming gold in the women’s event, while France’s Timothee Vedel staged a late comeback to defeat Czech favorite Jiri Privratsky and claim the men’s title.
In the women’s 10m Air Rifle event, Czech rising star Zrustova won gold with a score of 251.0 points. Ranked No. 124 in the world in this event, she set a new championship record with 632.7 points in the qualification round before carrying her strong form into the final to beat a competitive field. France’s Tifenn Pomes took silver with 250.7 points, while Poland’s Maja Gawenda claimed bronze.
Switzerland’s Marta Szabo finished fourth, followed by Singapore’s Tan Fernel Qian Ni in fifth and Spain’s Helena Arias Casals in sixth. Chinese Taipei’s Chou Ya-Hsuan finished seventh, while Italy’s Sofia Benetti placed eighth.
“My previous best result was fourth place, so I’m really happy to win a medal this time,” Zrustova said. The gold medal marks the best result of Zrustova’s international career in individual competition. During the final, she stayed calm and avoided aiming too high, maintaining her focus and composure until the end to secure the gold medal.
In the men’s 10m Air Rifle event, Jiri Privratsky of Czechia took silver with 252.1 points after qualifying first. A multiple medalist at the World and European Championships, he also finished fourth at the Paris Olympics.
However, France’s Vedel stayed close throughout the final and pulled ahead with his last two shots, finishing with 252.3 points to edge out Privratsky and win gold. Hungary’s 18-year-old Csongor Levai took bronze.
“I think positive, no negative,” Vedel said when asked about the key to his comeback in the final. He believed that staying relaxed and avoiding negative thoughts helped him perform under pressure. The gold medal also meant a great deal to him.
“It’s my first gold medal in six years, so I’m happy now,” he said.
The team event results, based on the combined scores from the qualification rounds, were also announced. France won gold in the women’s team event, followed by South Korea in silver and Czechia with bronze. In the men’s team event, South Korea took gold, Hungary claimed silver, and Singapore earned bronze.
