Vincent Hancock and Austen Smith are hoping to compete for the United States in the mixed team skeet at the Paris 2024 Olympics ©ITG

Triple Olympic skeet champion Vincent Hancock has set his sights on skeet mixed team gold when the event is introduced to the Olympic programme at Paris 2024 next year.

Hancock won mixed team gold for the United States with Austen Smith last night here at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championships in Baku.

"We both want individual gold but we both want this one too," Hancock told insidethegames.

"We have fun out there, a lot more fun, we were talking all through the day, just having fun enjoying ourselves."

Austen Smith and Vincent Hancock watching their opponents shooting during last night's skeet mixed team gold medal match in Baku ©ITG
Austen Smith and Vincent Hancock watching their opponents shooting during last night's skeet mixed team gold medal match in Baku ©ITG

The ISSF World Championships in Baku had attracted 46 pairs but Hancock and Smith, competing in their third event, defeated Ukrainians Iryna Malovichko and Mikola Milchev by one shot in the final.

"We both know how one another shoot so well that if I have any questions I can ask her and if she has any questions she can ask me," Hancock said.

Spectators in the evening sun at the ISSF World Championships skeet mixed team final in Baku ©ITG
Spectators in the evening sun at the ISSF World Championships skeet mixed team final in Baku ©ITG

"I think it is a really exciting event to watch with the athletes out here shooting and alternating culminating in 24 targets each," Hancock continued.

Team events had been part of the Olympic Games from before the First World War but were discontinued after the 1924 Olympic Games, which were also held in Paris.

Mixed events were included in the shooting programme for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in trap and also air pistol and air rifle.