From the slopes to the shooting range: Murat Pelit finds his golden moment

Eight years after competing at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, Switzerland’s Murat Pelit returned to Korea in a different sport only to leave as a world champion.

When Pelit finished on top of the podium at the Changwon 2026 World Shooting Para Sport Championships, listening to the Swiss national anthem with a gold medal around his neck, the emotions were difficult to contain.

When Pelit travelled to Korea as a Para alpine skier to compete at PyeongChang, he left without a medal.

This time, he returned as a Para trap athlete and finally enjoyed his golden moment.

“I am back in Korea again – the first time was for the Winter Paralympics in PyeongChang and the second time for the World Championships here,” said an emotional Pelit. “I’m so happy to finally win the gold here in Korea as I didn’t win any at the Winter Games.”

To the top of podium

Pelit’s triumph in Changwon also marked another significant step in a remarkable journey in a sport he took up only three years ago.

In a repeat of the PT1 mixed trap seated SG-S final at the Brno 2025 Para Trap World Championships, Pelit once again found himself battling UAE’s reigning world champion Mohammed Alhashmi.

But this time, the result was reversed.

The Swiss athlete produced an impressive 22 hits, missing just eight targets, to turn his Brno silver into his first world title. Alhashmi finished with 19 hits to take silver, while fellow UAE athlete Mohammed Alhebsi completed the podium with 15.

For Pelit, it was difficult to believe how quickly his journey in Para trap had progressed.

“In three years, I got silver and this time gold. I can’t believe it,” he said.

Imagen

A new chapter

Before finding his way to the shooting range, Pelit had already experienced the Paralympic stage in a very different environment.

He competed in Para alpine skiing at PyeongChang 2018 and returned for a second Paralympic Winter Games at Beijing 2022 where he finished 16th in the Super-G.

Beijing, however, would mark the end of that chapter.

“I ended my skiing career in Beijing because I wanted to have a family, and now I have little children at home,” said Murat who was diagnosed with a rare tumor in his lower back at the age of 21.

At around the same time, another sporting opportunity emerged when friends encouraged him to try shooting Para sport.

“Some friends told me, ‘Come, Murat, with me.’ Then I started learning,” Pelit recalled on how an invitation turned into a serious pursuit.

His passion for sports also made him establish his own company, Ti-Rex Sport, a foundation that offers sports courses for persons with disabilities. 

“It's important to me to motivate others to be more active and try new sports. I've also personally discovered a new passion in clay pigeon shooting. I will be participating in competitions in this discipline in the future," he told Swiss Paralympics.

Imagen

‘He gave me everything’

Pelit credits Italian coach Alessandro Belli with playing a major role in his rapid rise in Para trap.

“I have been really fortunate. My coach from Italy, Alessandro Belli, gave me everything in this sport,” the 44-year-old from Ticino said.

“We got these two medals in these two years together.”

But switching from the speed of alpine skiing to the precision required in Para trap was a completely different challenge.

And for Pelit, the biggest adjustment has been mental.

“In skiing, you have two runs. In two minutes, you win or you’re done,” he explained.

“This sport is different mentally. For me, it was really difficult to stay concentrated for so long, try to give my best and go into my mind and tell myself to break everything I can.”

It is a challenge he has learned to embrace.

Different sport, same emotion

Pelit’s sporting journey has taken him from the snow-covered slopes to the shooting range. The surroundings and demands may be completely different, but Pelit believes the emotions remain the same.

“When you have a medal, whether it is skiing or shooting, it is the same emotion,” he said.

For Pelit, however, Changwon carried something extra.

After years of waiting, he finally had his moment of glory. The taste of success was special, but for Pelit, this was only the beginning.