Zhang earns maiden ISSF World Cup medal, Qi reaches podium again

China's young shooters enjoyed another productive day on home soil at the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, on Monday, with Zhang Yueyue claiming the first World Cup medal of her career while Qi Ying earned his second podium finish of the season.

The 20-year-old Zhang took silver in the women's 25-meter pistol after a strong run to the final, pushing India's world record holder Esha Singh in the gold-medal contest before settling for second place, 40-37. Another shooter from India, Manu Bhaker, completed the podium with bronze.

The result marked a significant breakthrough for Zhang, who finished fourth in the same event at last year's World Cup stop in Ningbo during her debut season on the ISSF circuit. Returning to action in Zhejiang Province for her second appearance, the Chinese markswoman took home her maiden medal in the series.

"Results are not the most important thing. What's important is learning more about myself, improving and becoming a better shooter," Zhang said. "I've been working on my weaknesses since last year and competing at this World Cup has given me another valuable opportunity to improve."

Olympic silver medalist Qi Ying also reached the podium, grabbing bronze in the men's trap. The 29-year-old was the only shooter to advance to the final for China, before the USA's William Hinton claimed gold with 28 hits, relegating Qatar's Angelo Scalzone to silver with 27.

Qi's bronze followed another third-place finish at the World Cup stop in Almaty, Kazakhstan, earlier this season, giving him two medals in the series in 2026.

"I'm excited, but also nervous to compete in Hangzhou, because so many of the world's top shooters are here," Qi noted. "I'm happy that I handled the pressure, reached the final and enjoyed the competition."

Despite another podium finish, Qi added that he is still looking for improvement as he turns his attention to the upcoming Asian Games and World Championships.