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Turkish trap shooter Nedim Tolga Tuncer set a new world record at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup final in Kazakhstan, scoring 29 out of 30 in the final round to claim the gold medal.
The 33-year-old athlete, who competes for Kocaeli Buyuksehir Belediye Kagitspor, said his next goal is to secure an Olympic quota for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.
Tuncer, who began shooting sports in 2005 at the direction of family members, was selected for the national youth team just 2 years later. He joined the Olympic Preparation Center in 2013 and transferred to Kagitspor in 2015.
His record-breaking performance came after he entered the final in 7th place. In the final round, competitors shoot at 30 targets. Tuncer hit 29 of them, surpassing the previous world record.
Speaking to the Anadolu Agency (AA), Tuncer said the result carried particular weight given the level of competition in the final.
"The record is a great source of motivation for me because the final included athletes who have won Olympic medals. Beating them in the final is a big achievement," he said.
Tuncer also shared that securing an Olympic quota remains the immediate priority. "There are steps I need to take to reach the Olympics. First, we need to get the quota. After that, the only goal is the Olympics," he said.
Tuncer acknowledged that a perfect score of 30 out of 30 remains within reach. He said he missed one target due to psychological pressure during a close contest with an American shooter, but recovered to claim the record after his rival also missed.
"We need to hit 30 out of 30. I hope we get to do that. It is achievable because we already hit 29. I missed one under pressure—I was neck and neck with the American athlete and kept thinking I might miss. But after he also missed, I relaxed and hit the rest without error. That was a learning experience," he said.
Tuncer also expressed hope that his result would draw younger athletes to the sport. "I hope the medal opens new doors for Turkish sport and that we see more young people take up shooting," he said.
Tuncer has previously represented Türkiye at the 3rd European Games in Poland in 2023, where he finished first in qualifying with a record score.
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