ISSF Shooting World Cup: Rudrankksh Patil strikes men's 10m air rifle gold in Argentina

India's star shooter and former World Champion Rudrankksh Patil made a stunning return to form, securing the gold medal in the men’s 10m air rifle event at the season-opening ISSF Shooting World Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Sunday.

The 20-year-old, who had last stood atop a World Cup podium two years ago, shot 252.9 in the final, keeping his composure through a high-pressure contest. Hungary’s Istvan Peni settled for silver with 251.7, while Argentina’s M. J. Gutierrez claimed bronze.

From the very first series of shots, Rudrankksh set the tone for the final. Opening with a sharp 53.2, he seized the early lead and never relinquished control. Though Peni briefly threatened after the first elimination round, the Indian shooter remained laser-focused, stringing together consistent scores that pushed him ahead of the field.

This triumph marks Rudranksh’s second individual ISSF World Cup title, underlining his stature as one of India's top medal hopefuls in the new Olympic cycle. 

Meanwhile, compatriot Arjun Babuta, who had topped the qualification round with an impressive 634.5, couldn’t replicate that form in the final. A slow start of 50.4 put him on the back foot, and though he narrowly escaped early elimination with a crucial 10.5 shot, he eventually bowed out in 7th place.

The qualification round had seen a strong Indian presence, with Rudrankksh (633.7) joining Babuta in the top two. Kiran Ankush Jadhav also made it to the top eight but was ineligible for the final as he competed under RPO (Ranking Points Only) status. Divyansh Singh Panwar and Hriday Hazarika, also part of the Indian contingent, couldn’t advance beyond the qualifiers.

In a closely contested final, China’s Wang Honghao battled elimination multiple times but narrowly missed a podium finish, ceding bronze to local favourite Gutierrez.