BEIJING – The Serbian shooting squad achieved a historic podium finish at the 2026 World Shooting Championships in Doha, earning the bronze medal in the small‑bore rifle prone team competition. The trio of Marko Ivanović, Milenko Sebić and Lazar Kovačević accumulated a combined score of 1,871.5 rounds, edging out defending champion China by a narrow margin of 0.08 rounds.

Switzerland claimed gold with 1,881.1 rounds, while the Czech Republic took silver, finishing one round ahead of Serbia. The Serbian team’s performance marked the nation’s first world‑level medal in this discipline since the 2014 Granada championships, when a different lineup of Milenko Sebić, Stevan Pletikosić and Nemanja Mirosavljev earned bronze.

In the qualification phase, the three shooters competed in two groups. Sebić placed 11th in the first group with 622.4 rounds, and Kovačević was 13th with 621.9 rounds. Ivanović, the youngest member, shot in the second group and posted 627.2 rounds, securing second place in his group and the third‑best individual score overall. His result proved decisive, lifting the Serbian total to the medal‑winning mark.

All three athletes also qualified for the individual prone competition, which will be contested on Saturday. Sixty shooters from the elimination stage will compete in a single‑round format, with medals awarded based on final scores rather than a separate final.

“Team medals were contested fiercely right up to the finish line, and our squad left several strong rivals – China, Norway, Germany and Italy – behind,” said Dragan Donević, acting sports director of the Serbian Shooting Federation and selector for the rifle team. “Although this discipline is not part of the Olympic programme, the level of competition was the highest possible, with all nations fielding their best shooters as they prepare for the Los Angeles Olympic quota allocations.”

Donević highlighted Ivanović’s performance, noting that the second‑group shooter bore the bulk of the team’s medal hopes. “Marko delivered the greatest contribution to our success. Knowing that our placement depended heavily on his score, he handled the pressure and pulled the team toward the podium,” he added.

The bronze medal builds on a string of recent successes for Serbian shooters. In 2025 the national team earned a bronze in the small‑bore rifle three‑position event and placed fifth at the world level. At the most recent European championships, the same discipline yielded a fourth‑place finish.

Other Serbian shooters featured in mixed‑pair air‑pistol events. Uroš Gajić and Nađa Martinović finished 16th out of 55 teams with 576 rounds, three points shy of the final‑qualification threshold and ranking sixth among European pairs. The mixed‑pair duo of Damir and Tea Mikec placed 43rd with 568 rounds.

The Doha championships also serve as the first competition where quota places for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games will be allocated, underscoring the significance of Serbia’s bronze as both a morale boost and a stepping stone toward future Olympic ambitions.

With the team’s achievement, Serbian shooting officials see a continuation of the sport’s upward trajectory, emphasizing the importance of consistent coaching and talent development. Stevan Pletikosić, a former world‑medalist and now coach of Ivanović and Kovačević, expressed optimism about the squad’s depth and the potential for further podium finishes in upcoming international events.

Sources (learn more):

nova.rs — https://nova.rs/sport/sport-ostalo/veliki-uspeh-na-svetskom-prvenstvu-srbija-osvojila-bronzu/