By USA Shooting
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (September 30, 2026) – Madison Champion and Ben Hays earned silver and set two Americas records to lead Team USA at the 2026 World Shooting Para Sport World Championships in Changwon, South Korea.
The performance came against the largest field in World Shooting Para Sport history. The 2026 World Championships featured more than 320 athletes from 53 countries and 595 total entries.
Champion and Hays delivered Team USA’s top performance of the championships in R11 Mixed Team 10m Air Rifle Prone SH2, beginning with a record-setting qualification round. The American duo combined for 626.0, establishing an Americas Qualification Record and advancing to the four-team final.
In the final, Champion and Hays remained in medal contention throughout a close battle with China’s Wang Ruo and Gao Jianxiong. The world title ultimately came down to just 0.7 points, with the Americans finishing at 503.9 to China’s 504.6. Champion and Hays’ silver-medal score also established an Americas Record.
Madison Champion and Ben Hays, R11 Mixed Team 10m Air Rifle Prone SH2 Silver Medalists
“This was a very strong field and an important competition for our team,” said Jacqueline McCook, USA Shooting Board Member and Team Lead “Madison and Ben’s silver medal and associated Americas records showcased a great result for Team USA. All of our athletes gained valuable experience competing at the World Championship level. We’ll take what we learned in Changwon and continue building through the remainder of the season. I’m proud of the team and very excited about their future.”
The silver was Team USA’s lone medal of the World Championships and added another international result to a strong season for Hays, who earned gold in R4 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Standing SH2 at the WSPS Grand Prix in Arequipa, Peru, earlier this year.
Team USA also advanced two athletes to individual World Championship finals.
Yan Xiao Gong, a Paris 2024 Paralympic silver medalist, advanced to the P3 25m Pistol Open SH1 final. Gong finished seventh in the eight-athlete field.
Zachary Jackson advanced to the R7 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men SH1 final after placing sixth in qualification with 577-23x. Jackson finished eighth in the final.
Across the championships, the U.S. delegation competed in rifle and pistol events, with one World Championship silver medal, two Americas records and three U.S. final appearances highlighting Team USA’s performance in Changwon.
The championships also served as part of the qualification process for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games, adding significance to the international competition as Team USA continues through the Paralympic cycle.
Team USA Medalists
Silver
Madison Champion & Ben Hays
R11 Mixed Team 10m Air Rifle Prone SH2
Team USA Finalists
Yan Xiao Gong
P3 25m Pistol Open SH1 – 7th
Zachary Jackson
R7 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men SH1 – 8th
Complete results from the 2026 World Shooting Para Sport World Championships are available through World Shooting Para Sport.
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About USA Shooting
USA Shooting, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, was chartered by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee as the National Governing Body for the Olympic & Paralympic Shooting Sports in April 1995. The organization develops and implements programs to promote growth in the sport and serves as a sanctioning body for local and national competitions. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center, USA Shooting has a full-time staff dedicated to our sport.