TEHRAN – 15-year-old Iranian shooter Mohammad Beyranvand earned a shock place at the Paris 2024 Games in Kuwait City after winning a shoot-off in the men’s trap at the Asian Olympic qualifier.
After China’s Guo Yuhao – who secured the second available Olympic quota place - had missed his second effort in the shoot-off to give the Iranian teenager a 2-1 win, the latter raised his arms into the air before falling onto his back with hands over his face, shedding tears.
The shock was understandable for a youngster who last year finished 71st at the World Championships and 54th in the Almaty ISSF World Cup.
Beyranvand will not turn 16 until Aug. 28 this year – 26 days after the shooting event concludes at the Paris Games – and is currently in line to join three others who have competed in shooting at an Olympics aged 15, the youngest on record.
The next challenge on his horizon could be to better the performance of China’s Sheng Lihao, who became the youngest-ever shooter to win an Olympic medal when he took silver in the men’s 10m air rifle at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
India’s Lakshay Lakshay came third, scoring 33 points.