Braden Peiser earned a silver medal in Junior Men’s 10m Air Rifle after an exciting final at the 2025 International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) Junior Suhl World Cup on Saturday, May 24.
“It feels good. This is the first Junior World Cup I have been able to attend. It has been great,” Peiser, who hails from San Angelo, Texas, said. “I am glad I have been able to take advantage of the opportunities that I was given.”
Peiser delivered a standout performance in qualification, earning his spot in the final with a score of 632. He continued to excel in the final, where he secured the silver medal with a final score of 250. Peiser edged out India’s Naraen Pranav Vanitha Suresh, who ultimately took the bronze medal. Additionally, Peiser’s teammate Griffin Lake—who earned a bronze medal at the ISSF Junior World Cup last week—qualified for the final, where he finished fifth.
“The competitiveness of the finals is what I love,” Peiser, a rifle student-athlete at the University of Kentucky said. “Having that yo-yoing or chasing, I enjoy that a lot. I don’t know what [the competitor] is going to shoot, and all I can control is what I am doing and hope that it’s the best or good enough. It was fun and very unpredictable on which way it was going to go.”
The energy in the finals hall brought a lively dynamic to the match, with an electric crowd cheering throughout the competition.
“It was probably the loudest final I have ever shot in,” Peiser said. “Once I became comfortable with it and accepted that this is how it’s going to be, it wasn’t too much of an issue. It was certainly a fun environment.”
Peiser’s silver marks his first ISSF Junior World Cup medal and his seventh international medal overall. The University of Kentucky rifle student-athlete was crowned Junior Men’s 50m Rifle 3-Position champion at the 2024 ISSF Junior World Championships last fall in Lima, earning his first individual international gold.
Not only that, Peiser most recently qualified for the 2025 Junior Pan American Games U.S. air rifle team and will head to Asunción, Paraguay, this August. The competition take place every four years, featuring athletes from North, South and Central American countries.
You can view the official results of the 2025 ISSF Junior Suhl World Cup at the ISSF website.
American rifle and pistol junior athletes continue their competition in Suhl, Germany, this week at the ISSF Junior World Cup.
The United States has earned two medals at the 2025 ISSF Junior World Cup as of Saturday, May 24, 2025.
- Griffin Lake: Bronze, Junior Men’s 50m Prone Rifle
- Braden Peiser: Silver, Junior Men’s 10m Air Rifle
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