The Ukrainian national shooting team has secured its first gold medal at the 2026 World Championship, held in Doha, Qatar, from November 1 to 14. In the team event for 25m center-fire pistol, the Ukrainian trio of Pavlo Korostylov, Maksym Horodynets, and Volodymyr Pasternak demonstrated outstanding consistency, ultimately outperforming recognized world leaders — the national teams of South Korea and India. This was reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the Shooting Federation of Ukraine.
Team triumph: how the final result was formed
The final result in the team standings was determined by the sum of points scored by each of the three shooters in individual performances. Volodymyr Pasternak was the best in the Ukrainian trio, scoring 580 points and finishing fifth in the individual standings. Pavlo Korostylov scored 579 points, allowing him to finish in eighth place, while Maksym Horodynets scored 576 points to take 14th place in the personal protocol. The combined total of 1735 points was enough for the "blue and yellows" to surpass the discipline's main giants — the teams of South Korea and India, which traditionally vie for the top spots in pistol shooting.
Personal statistics: a jubilee medal for Korostylov
The triumph in Doha has updated the personal statistics of each Ukrainian medalist at the world championship level. For Pavlo Korostylov, this award is a landmark one — the 15th in his career at world championships, highlighting the long-term consistency and competitiveness of one of the country's leading shooters. Maksym Horodynets won his fifth world championship medal, while Volodymyr Pasternak stepped onto a world championship podium for the second time in his career. Thus, all three members of the team "gold" possess significant experience competing at the highest level.
Ukraine's third medal at the tournament and standing in the medal count
The gold won in the team pistol event became the third medal for the Ukrainian national team at the current tournament in Doha. Previously at the same championship, Pavlo Korostylov became the world vice-champion in 25m standard pistol, and the Ukrainian trio won bronze in the team event in the same discipline. Thanks to its first "gold," Ukraine has climbed to 11th place in the 2026 World Championship medal count, sharing it with Denmark and Finland. The standings are led by a significant margin by the Chinese team, which has 13 gold, 6 silver, and 7 bronze medals.
Tournament context: Olympic licenses and final days of the championship
The World Championship in Doha will continue until November 14, 2026. In addition to medals in various disciplines, the first 36 Olympic licenses for the 2028 Games are being contested at this championship, which adds extra significance to the tournament and increases competition among participants. The Ukrainian shooters, who have already picked up good momentum in team and individual disciplines, maintain chances for additional awards and licenses in the remaining two days of competition. The photograph of the award ceremony, showing three Ukrainian shooters in blue uniforms with the trident emblem holding the national flag and showing their gold medals, has become one of the tournament's key visual shots.
