Yarrawonga shotgun trap-shooter James Willett is in the box seat to compete at his third Olympics after taking gold in a World Cup event in Azerbaijan.
The result saw the Kennedy Builders mature-age apprentice surge up the world rankings from five to one, his first time in the top spot since 2019.
Willett, 28, returned to Yarrawonga last Tuesday after the three-week tour which also included a tournament in Qatar, where he shot 119 from 125 but just missed the final.
However, at the higher-ranked Baku event in Azerbaijan – one of just five world cups annually – he made the final with 121 and took it out with 46 from 50. The next best was 42.
It follows a bronze medal win for Willett at another World Cup event, in Egypt, earlier this year and is the seventh World Cup gold of his career.
The No.1 ranking puts him in the box seat to secure one of two world-ranking quota positions for the Paris Olympics in July, which will see a field of 32 compete for medals.
Willett will now hope that a last Europeans-only qualifier – the European Championships – won’t see his ranking affected, with the Paris competitors to be confirmed next month.
“It was a lot of stress but I’m really grateful for the result,” Willett said on his return to Yarrawonga.
“I felt I shot pretty well (in Qatar), but it was a bit gusty, and I just missed the final.
“But I felt like my mental preparations were going well and I was building for the second event. (In Azerbaijan) through the first 20-odd (traps) it was pretty close.
“But I made it through the first few eliminations, and managed to hold a lead most of the way through the final.”
Willett will enjoy some downtime now, returning to work with some light training planned at his Mulwala range – weather permitting – before flying out to Italy next month for a tournament for a tune-up in what he hopes will be his third Olympics.
Willett also thanked the support of his local sponsors Kennedy Builders, Yarrawonga Toyota, CMCU and Hargraves Secured Investments.