The 2026 Slingshot World Championship wrapped up October 4 in Las Mesas, a small town in Spain’s Cuenca province. Most shooters call it the Slingshot World Cup, and in Spain it’s the Campeonato del Mundo de Tirachinas. The Spanish Slingshot Sport Association hosted 384 shooters from 21 countries, with 611 entries across the two disciplines, Precision and Classic. It was the third world championship, and the first since Shanghai in 2024.
China won big, as expected. But the story we can’t stop talking about is a kid from Indiana.
2026 Slingshot World Championship results at a glance
- Where: Las Mesas, Cuenca, Spain
- When: October 1–4, 2026
- Team Precision gold: China
- Team Precision silver: Spain
- Team Precision bronze: Czech Republic
- Team Precision fourth: United States
- Junior Precision gold: Graden Bartlett, USA, 112 points
Graden Bartlett wins Junior Precision gold
Graden Bartlett won the Junior Precision title with 112 points, including four scores of 28. Óscar Murillo Barbancho of Spain took silver with 92, and Jake Sellens of Great Britain took bronze with 80. That’s a 20-point margin over second place.
Graden shoots the U.S. tournament circuit with his dad, Will, and the two co-host the A.I.M. Slingshot Tournament in Indiana and the East Coast Slingshot Tournament in Pennsylvania. He’s the only American to ever place top three in all three divisions: Youth, Amateur, and Pro. His go-to setup is a hand-made antler frame with SimpleShot Black Premium Latex and our brown microfiber pouch.
Nathan sat down with Graden and Will at the Hocking Hills tournament in 2023, early in their slingshot journey. They talked draw length, band failure, thumb injuries, and aiming. It’s worth a rewatch now, or read the recap in Ask SimpleShot with Graden and Will.
Team USA finishes fourth in Team Precision
Twelve nations shot Team Precision. After two preliminary rounds, the top eight moved on, then the top four. Team USA made that final four alongside China, Spain, and Czech Republic.
In the round of four, USA and Czech Republic each shot 100. Czech Republic eked out the shoot-off for bronze, and Team USA finished fourth, 10 points behind them overall. That’s one shot.
China won easily, taking first place. Spain took silver behind team captain Óscar Collado, who lives in Las Mesas and helped bring the championship to his hometown.
Team Precision, top 10
- China, 630
- Spain, 480
- Czech Republic, 410
- United States, 400
- Hungary, 300
- Brazil, 280
- United Kingdom, 280
- Belgium, 240
- France, 160
- Germany, 100
How Team Precision works
Team Precision is a team-versus-field event, not head-to-head. Every nation shoots the same rounds, and each round’s score adds to the team’s running total. At this year’s championship, all twelve teams shot two preliminary rounds. The top eight shot a third round, the top four shot a fourth, and the top two shot the final. This year, a tie for bronze went to a shoot-off.
That’s why one shot matters so much. Team USA and Czech Republic were level after the round of four, and a single shoot-off decided bronze. If you want the mental side of shooting under that kind of pressure, Nathan covers it in What is the mentality for competition slingshot shooting?
Team North America
North American shooters have been rare at worlds. This year Team North America went to Spain as a full squad, with every member paying their own way. We profiled each of them on our Facebook page before the trip:
- Graden Bartlett, Indiana
- Will Bartlett, Indiana
- Darrin “DGC” Cook, Georgia
- Sarah Cook, Georgia
- Bill Hays, Texas
- Daranda Hays, Texas
- Dana Lachman, Texas
- Michael “Linder” Linder, Texas
- Nathan Masters, North Carolina, SimpleShot founder
- Matthew Neyman, Missouri
- Javier Perea, Mexico
- Francesca “Fran” Smothers, Indiana
- Jordan “Smo” Smothers, Indiana
- Kyle Sovie, Canada
- Michael “Coin” Stellingwerf, Indiana
- Lori Valente, Virginia
- Mone Waller, Virginia
Plenty of the team listed SimpleShot frames as their go-to in those profiles. Nathan’s is the Axiom, Coin’s is the Axiom Carbon Fiber, and Javier and Fran both named the Axiom X. Kyle’s favorite SimpleShot frame is the Scout X, his first flat band frame.
Nathan has been to worlds before. He finished 9th at the 2018 Slingshot World Cup in Italy, and you can see what people shot there in Slingshots of the World Cup.
Slingshot World Championship FAQ
Where was the 2026 Slingshot World Championship held?
Las Mesas, in the Cuenca province of Spain, October 1–4, 2026. The Spanish Slingshot Sport Association hosted it.
Who won the 2026 Slingshot World Championship team event?
China won Team Precision with 630 points. Spain took silver with 480 and Czech Republic took bronze with 410.
How did Team USA do at the 2026 Slingshot World Championship?
Team USA finished fourth in Team Precision with 400 points, after Czech Republic won a shoot-off for bronze. Graden Bartlett won gold in Junior Precision.
Where was the last Slingshot World Championship?
Shanghai, China, in 2024. The 2026 edition in Spain was the third world championship.
How do I get into competitive slingshot shooting?
Start local. Many shooters on Team North America came up through U.S. tournaments like the East Coast Slingshot Tournament and Hocking Hills. Find one near you on our slingshot events calendar, and work on your fundamentals with How can a beginner slingshot shooter improve accuracy?
Congratulations to Graden, to Team USA, and to everyone who made the trip. See you on the line.
