Australian shooter James Willett clinched the gold medal in the men’s trap shooting event at the ISSF World Cup 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Penny Smith settled for silver in the women’s competition. Willett, a seasoned two-time Olympian and gold medalist in the mixed trap pairs event at the 2019 World Championships, showcased his prowess by finishing fifth in the qualifiers and shooting 121 in the qualifying round to earn a spot in the finals. Despite a slow start in the medal round, Willett elevated his performance to secure the top spot on the podium with a remarkable score of 46, missing just one shot out of 30 in the final six series. This victory marked Willett’s first individual gold at the ISSF World Cup since Acapulco 2019, with Slovakia’s Filip Marinov and Guatemala’s Jean Pierre Brol Cardenas claiming the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
In contrast, Penny Smith struggled with consistency during her campaign for gold. The 29-year-old had placed sixth in the women’s trap competition at Tokyo 2020 Olympics but led Baku qualifiers with an impressive score of 116. However, she faced a setback in fifth series where she only hit two out of five shots which allowed Lebanon’s Bassil Ray to overtake her lead. Ray secured his first ISSF World Cup title by scoring 44 while Smith settled for silver with a total of 40. Italy’s Erica Sessa rounded out third place on podium with bronze medal. Smith’s silver marked her eleventh medal at ISSF World Cup including six golds, three silvers and two bronze medals, showcasing her consistency and skill in this sport even when facing some struggles
