Thrilling opening day at the 55th World Military Shooting Championship in Elverum

ELVERUM (NOR) – The 55th CISM World Military Shooting Championship kicked off with high-level competition and dramatic finishes as the first day concluded with Norway emerging as the dominant force on home soil.

The Norwegian women set the tone early in the day, delivering a nail-biting performance to clinch gold in the 50m Prone Team event. Jeanette Hegg Duestad, Mari B. Løvseth, and Jenny Østre Stene held their composure under pressure, securing victory with a combined score of 1857.0 points. Switzerland followed closely with 1851.1 points, and the Republic of Korea took bronze with 1849.5 points.

“This was a thriller right up to the final shot,” said one official, as spectators witnessed the tension unfold shot by shot on the firing line.

In the afternoon session, the Norwegian men kept the momentum alive with another gold medal in the 300m Standard Rifle 3x20 Team event. The trio of Rasmus Løberg, Hans Kristian Wear, and Odd Arne Brekne demonstrated impressive consistency across all positions, finishing with a total of 1731 points.

Poland and France were not far behind, both ending with a total score of 1730. However, Norway edged out the competition with a stronger X-ring count (61x) to secure the top podium spot. Poland took silver (54x), while France claimed bronze with 48x.

The individual performances also stood out. Finland’s Aleksi Leppä led the individual 300m event with a stellar 588-27x, followed by Germany’s Max Ohlenburger (585-16x) and Poland’s Tomasz Bartnik (584-23x).

With 54 athletes from 15 nations competing in the 300m event and strong participation in the women's prone category, the opening day highlighted the depth and precision of military marksmen and markswomen from around the globe.

As the Championship continues through 30 June, all eyes remain on Elverum for more gripping moments and international camaraderie on the range.

See all results from Day 1: https://www.wmcshooting25.com/our-ranges/

(Source: CISM Media & Communication Department)