Sam Simonton, a three-time world championship medalist, topped the podium with a silver medal in Women’s Skeet after an exciting final at the 2025 International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Nicosia, Cyprus, May 7, according to USA Shooting reports.
“I came here to get some training under pressure, and that’s exactly what I did—I am happy with it,” said Simonton, a Sgt. in the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. “I would have liked to shoot better in this final and qualifications, but I had good takeaways from this match.”
Simonton’s success in Nicosia has a special sentiment as the first world cup she ever competed in took place there back in 2016. At the 2025 World Cup, the Gainesville, Georgia, native, shot a qualification score of 120/125, putting her in a four-way tie for fifth place. She then won a shoot-off to secure her spot in the final.
“Shooting off to get into the final is pretty dang tough to be honest,” said Simonton, the 2024 ISSF World Cup Final champion. “Mentally you feel a lot of pressure, at least I do. I came here to prepare mentally for competitions so that was great practice, and I am happy with it.”
In the final, Simonton finished with a score of 52 hits, besting Yufei Che, of China, who finished in third place. Arina Kuznetsova, of Individual Neutral Athletes, took gold.
Simonton’s silver medal brings her ISSF World Cup medal total to six and her overall international medal count to 12. She most recently earned another silver medal at the 2025 ISSF Lima World Cup in April during a thrilling final where USA swept the podium in Women’s Skeet.
See official Women’s Skeet results here.
Simonton is now preparing for the 2025 USA Shooting National Championships in Hillsdale, Michigan, May 22-June 1. The competition is a selection match for the national shotgun team.
“My Army teammates and I are working hard on new strategies to figure out how to get better, and ultimately win,” said Simonton.
The U.S. team is still currently competing at the Cyprus World Cup, with trap events still to come.
USA Shooting extends gratitude to its sponsors and partners: The NRA Foundation, Hillsdale College, The International Order of T. Roosevelt, The Hal & Jean Glassen Foundation, Safari Club International, MidwayUSA Foundation, White Flyer Targets and Shoot the Moon.
