Australia’s Joshua Bell-Aislin Jones Makes History with Medal Win

Jones, a former Commonwealth champion, and Bell secured a bronze medal by defeating the USA’s Austen Jewell Smith and Conner Lynn Prince 42-41 in the playoff. The American pair initially had a lead of one shot at the halfway mark of the competition. However, Jones and Bell managed to pull ahead by scoring a perfect 8 in the fourth series. This victory marked the Australian shooters’ first time competing in a senior World Cup final, allowing them to hold onto their lead and secure the bronze medal.

During the qualification round, the Australian pair finished in third place with a score of 143. Bell contributed 73 points to the total, while Jones added 70 points. The top spot in the qualification round was secured by USA’s Dustan Taylor and Dania Jo Vizzi with a score of 146. However, they were defeated in the gold medal match by Chile’s Hector Andres Flores Barahona and Francisca Crovetto Chadid with a score of 45-42.

The bronze medal victory at the ISSF World Cup 2024 in Baku marked Australia’s third medal in the competition. The previous Sunday, two-time Olympian James Willett claimed the gold medal in the men’s trap event, while Penny Smith, who finished sixth in the women’s trap at the Tokyo Olympics, secured silver in her event. The Baku meet is set to conclude on Saturday.