Changwon 2023: De La Forest, Benson open season with triple gold

The Changwon 2023 gave a perfect start to the World Cup season with big names announcing their form ahead of an important season – that has the all-important Shooting Para Sport World Championships in Lima, Peru and the regional games.

Top-ranked stars including Tokyo 2020 Paralympic medallists were among the mix as 19 quota places for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games were grabbed, 10 new world records and several continental records set in the season-opener World Cup, that concluded on Tuesday (30 May).

Home stars shine 

The hosts, which had a star-studded line-up in their ranks, made the most of the opportunity to grab the maximum 22 medals that including 12 gold and secured four quota places for Paris 2024.

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic bronze medallist Park Jinho kick started the home team’s campaign with a world record show of 250.5 points, enough to take the gold and a quota place for South Korea in R1 - men's 10m air rifle standing SH1. Lee Jangho (248.1) claimed the silver ahead of China’s Paralympic star Dong Chao (227.1).   

Other gold medallists for Korea were world champion Kim Jungnam (P3 - mixed 25m pistol SH1) and Park Sea Kyun (P5 – mixed 10m air pistol standard SH1). They pulled off nine gold medals in team events with their pistol shooters Jungnam, Sea Kyun and Park Chul claiming together three top positions. 

"I didn't expect to win medals, but it made me very happy to claim two golds on home ground. There were many great competitors, but I just did what I could do. As there are still many national competitions left on the road to Paris 2024, I also want to make good preparations," Jungnam said.

International stars

China's return to competition was one of the highlights ahead of the Changwon 2023 World Cup and the Chinese athletes lived up to the expectations. They claimed five Paris 2024 quota places for their nation and finished with 18 medals that had six gold.

Paralympic champion Yang Chao led the charge with two gold medals including a world record effort and a silver.

Starting his campaign with a silver in P3 - mixed 25m pistol SH1, Chao returned to the Changwon International Shooting range stronger than ever. He produced a dominant show to clinch the gold with a world record effort of 241.8 in P1 - men's 10m air pistol SH1, avenging his second-place show to Jungnam in P3. Chao picked up another gold in P4 - mixed 50m pistol SH1 final.

In rifle shooting, Paralympic champion Dong Chao took the gold in R7 - men's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 ahead of compatriot Xu Jianjie.

Tokyo 2020 double medallist Zhang Cuiping settled for individual bronze in R8 – women’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 but compensated securing a quota for China besides team gold in R3 – mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1. Cuiping and Chao was also part of R10 – mixed team 10m air rifle standing team which set a world record mark in the qualification. 

Triple gold 

But it was triple gold medal shows from France's Tanguy De La Forest and Swedish Anna Benson that stole the show at Changwon.

De La Forest, the reigning double world champion, continued his amazing run of form from last year's Al Ain 2022 World Championships to clinch a gold and a world record with his effort of 254.7 in R4 - mixed 10m air rifle standing SH2. 

He followed it up with another gold in R9 - mixed 50m rifle prone SH2, which also saw him taking the team gold alongside Justine Beve (individual silver medallist) and Dylan Kerreneur. The 45-year-old had saved another impressive show for the last day taking his third gold in R5 – mixed 10m rifle prone SH2.

"For me, the World Cup in Korea is a good event. I do well here; I like this competition, the shooting range. I want to continue the momentum and shoot well in the upcoming events. I have brought changes to my training, and I think I am shooting better than last year," said De La Forest.

Meanwhile, Swedish Benson took the surprise gold in R2 - women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 ahead of Paralympic stars Avani Lekhara and Lee Yunri, and a Paris 2024 quota for her nation.

It was in in fact a close battle between Lekhara and Benson in the end. With a difference of 0.5 going into the final series, Lekhara fell short by just 0.1 point.      

Benson, the Tokyo 2020 silver medallist, continued the momentum to clinch another gold in R8 - women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1, which including a qualification world record for the Tokyo 2020 medallist. She ended her campaign at Changwon with a yellow metal in R6 - mixed 50m rifle prone SH1.

For Spain and Iran, who finished in fifth and sixth places, their gold medals came through Juan Antonio Saavedra Reinaldo (R3 – Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1) and Nasrin Shahi Samakhoun (P2 – Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH1), respectively.

Full results of Changwon 2023 World Cup can be found here.

You can watch again all the action on the National Paralympic Committee of Korea YouTube channel.

Where to next?

After Changwon, the focus will move to Europe for the Osijek 2023 World Shooting Para Sport World Cup in Croatia. The World Cup will feature rifle, pistol, shotgun and visually impaired events to be held from 4 to 13 July.

The Osijek 2023 World Cup will set the tone for the European 2023 Para 10m Championships in Rotterdam in August, that will be offering quota places for Paris 2024.