Zhang Changhong won the men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions title at the ISSF World Cup Hangzhou 2026, and he did it in front of a home crowd. He broke the world record to take gold, edging Hungary's Istvan Peni in a final that stayed close to the last shot.
A world record decided in the standing stage
The contest turned late. After the kneeling stage, Matvei Potapov of AIN led with 104.9, just ahead of Zhang on 104.0, while Peni stayed within reach on 101.4. By the end of prone, Potapov still led, but Zhang had cut the gap to 0.7 points.
Everything changed once the shooters stood. Zhang and Peni both opened the elimination stage with matching 51.9 series and pulled clear of the field. Zhang fired a run of strong shots, including a 10.7 and a 10.8, and Peni answered almost every one.
With the last shots left, Zhang held his nerve and closed on 363.0 for a new world record. Peni also passed the old mark but finished 1.3 points back on 361.7, in one of the highest-quality finals the sport has seen. Potapov took bronze with 349.9.
From Tokyo gold to the record books
The win adds another major title to a full career. Zhang won Olympic gold in the same event at Tokyo 2020 and has long ranked among the world's leading rifle shooters, known for his precision and his calm on big days.
Breaking the record at home made this one different. For a shooter who has already stood at the top, Hangzhou offered something rare: a personal best written into the record books, in his own country, with the crowd close enough to feel every shot.
