Czech Team Succeeds at the Hunting Rifle Shooting World Championship. Martin Šlechta Achieves the Best Czech Result

The Czech national team delivered an outstanding performance at the 5th IHRSA (International Hunting Rifle Shooting Association) World Championship, held in South Africa from July 12 to 18, 2026. Among the members of the national team was CZ factory shooter Martin Šlechta.

The IHRSA World Championship is one of the most prestigious events in hunting rifle shooting. Unlike traditional shooting competitions, it tests not only firearm accuracy but, above all, the shooter's skills – accurately estimating target distance, judging wind conditions, selecting the appropriate shooting position, and completing each stage within strict time limits. The courses are designed to simulate real-life hunting scenarios as closely as possible.

This year's championship took place at Louvain Farm near George, South Africa, and featured a wide variety of stages, ranging from photo targets depicting local game animals to steel gongs positioned in challenging terrain. Competitors also faced long transfers between shooting ranges, uphill and downhill shooting, dense morning fog, and the short winter days typical of the South African season. Together, these conditions tested not only the shooters' technical abilities but also their physical and mental endurance.

Each stage presented competitors with a different challenge – from shooting off rocks or from a tree to engaging small steel gongs in steep terrain. Wind also played a crucial role, with accurate wind reading often determining the success of every shot.

Martin Šlechta Records the Best Czech Result

The Czech team returned home with several outstanding results. Team A won the silver medal in the team competition, Team B claimed bronze, and the Czech women's team captured gold in the 222/223 Remington team category. Czech shooters also recorded strong performances in the individual standings.

Among them was Martin Šlechta, President of the Czech Hunting Rifle Shooting Association and a CZ factory shooter. Competing against a highly competitive international field, he achieved the best overall result among all Czech representatives. He finished 12th overall in the 222/223 Remington discipline and 19th overall in the Open discipline, traditionally regarded as the premier event of the World Championship.

"The level of competition at the World Championship continues to grow every year, and it is clear that hunting rifle shooting is becoming an increasingly professional sport. That makes me appreciate even more achieving the best overall result among the Czech competitors and helping our national team bring home several valuable medals," says Martin Šlechta.

In addition to the outstanding performances of the Czech competitors, CZ rifles were also well represented throughout the championship, once again demonstrating their capabilities in one of the world's most demanding hunting rifle shooting competitions. The firearms used included the CZ 457 LRP, CZ 600 RANGE in both the 222/223 Remington and Open categories, and the CZ 600+ MDT, all of which were used by competitors across multiple disciplines.

Czech National Team Line-up

CZ Team A: Martin Šlechta, Mikuláš Bilík, Filip Novák, Filip Škrabálek, Milan Kirchner a Miroslav Forró.
CZ Team B: Michal Šůstek, Petr Dvořák, Lukáš Křeček, Zdeněk Pšenčík, Jan Kubíček a Tomáš Marek.
Czech Women's Team: Barbora Gelačáková, Kateřina Ficková, Veronika Chrpová, Zuzana Slavíková, Eva Strakošová a Samanta Winterová.
Additional Czech Team Members: Radomír Smutka, Tomáš Staněk a Roman Winter.