Outstanding precision on display at the 25m/300m Lapua European Cup Final in Thun
The 2026 25m / 300m Lapua European Cup Final was held in Thun, Switzerland, from September 28 to October 4, bringing together Europe's top pistol and rifle athletes for a week of world-class competition. Throughout the event, competitors demonstrated exceptional precision, consistency, and mental strength, producing remarkable scores and an impressive number of inner tens across both the 25m pistol and 300m rifle disciplines.
In the 25m Center Pistol Open competition, Czech athlete Jindrich Dubovy claimed victory with a score of 585 and 23 inner tens. Germany's Patrick Meyer secured second place with 583 and 17 inner tens, while Latvia's Emils Vasermanis rounded out the podium with 579 and 21 inner tens. The strong scores and high inner-ten counts reflected the demanding standard maintained throughout the competition.
The 25m Standard Pistol Open event saw France's Kevin Chapon take first place with 573 and 11 inner tens. Latvia's Lauris Strautmanis finished second on the same score of 573 with 10 inner tens. Switzerland's Adrian Schaub secured third place with 572 and an impressive 15 inner tens.
In the 25m Pistol Mixed Team competition, Latvia 2, represented by Ernests Erbs and Anita Krieke, secured victory with 763 and 23 inner tens. Estonia 1, consisting of Peeter Olesk and Marja Kirss, finished only one point behind on 762 with 24 inner tens, while Estonia 2, represented by Triin Kuusik and Erik Amann, also posted 762 points to earn third place.
The 300m rifle competitions delivered equally impressive performances. In the 300m Rifle 3 Positions Men event, Austria secured the top two positions as Patrick Diem won with 592 points and 29 inner tens ahead of Andreas Thum on 590 and 24 inner tens. Switzerland's Gilles Dufaux completed the podium with 590 and 20 inner tens.
The women's 300m Rifle 3 Positions competition was another closely fought contest. Switzerland's Marta Szabo claimed gold with 586 and 21 inner tens. Fellow Swiss athlete Anja Bachmann-Senti finished second with 585 and an outstanding 29 inner tens, while Poland's Karolina Romanczyk secured bronze with 585 and 24 inner tens.
Perhaps the most remarkable performances of the week were witnessed in the 300m Rifle Prone events, where the standard of shooting reached extraordinary levels. In the men's competition, Slovenia's Rajmond Debevec delivered a perfect 600 score accompanied by 37 inner tens. Czech athlete Jri Privratsky earned silver with 599 and an incredible 41 inner tens, while Sweden's Per Sandberg claimed bronze with 599 and 36 inner tens. The number of inner tens recorded throughout the event underlined the exceptional precision demonstrated by the athletes.
The women's 300m Rifle Prone event was equally impressive, with all three medalists finishing on the same score of 598. Switzerland's Marta Szabo secured victory with 35 inner tens ahead of Michèle Bertschi with 31 and Sweden's Marie Enqvist with 29. The podium positions were ultimately determined by inner tens, emphasizing the outstanding level of consistency displayed by the competitors.
The final rifle event, the 300m Standard Rifle Open, saw Romania's Peter Sidi take the win with 587 points and 30 inner tens. Jri Privratsky continued his strong form to finish second with 587 and 24 inner tens, while Norway's Jenny Tovseth Vatne secured third place with 586 and 27 inner tens.
The 2026 Lapua European Cup Final once again demonstrated why the event remains a premier showcase for international pistol and rifle shooting. Across every discipline, athletes delivered exceptional performances, while the remarkable number of inner tens highlighted the accuracy, consistency, and focus required to succeed at the highest level of the sport.
