Maria Gushchina was born in 1995 in Russia, which is home to many famous shooters. Judging from what she’s achieved so far, it’s a tradition she follows in impressive fashion. Introduced to shooting at the age of 11, she immediately fell in love with competing in the IPSC and quickly made her way to the top of the sport. She first became a world champion in the Lady Production Division in 2011 and has since repeated this feat another two times – most recently with a CZ SHADOW 2 pistol in 2017 as a member of the CZ Shooting Team. Having dominated the Production Division, she plans to repeat her success in the Open Division.
Interview
You became a member of the CZ Shooting Team during the USPSA Championships in August 2015. It is said that your decision to join the team was very spontaneous. How do you feel about that decision now that four years have passed and you’ve won a world champion title?
I’m so happy that fate allowed me to cross paths with the CZ Shooting Team. At the time, I was using a rented gun, which was not very good. I then tried the CZ 75 SP-01 SHADOW pistol. This gun allowed me to discover how far I could take my shooting, and I was able to achieve outstanding results. When I was then given an offer to join the CZ team, I readily agreed. I competed the following year with the new CZ SHADOW 2, which I completely fell in love with, as it has taken my shooting ever further!
Lately, we have seen you competing more often in the Open division with a CZ 75 TS CZECHMATE. Is this division your favorite now?
I think I’ve explored everything the Production Division had to offer and have already achieved all of my goals there. It breaks my heart, but I think the time has come to make a new start, feel like a beginner in a new division, and to set new goals. It’s always interesting to improve your skills and see how much progress you can make. I think I’ll have this feeling in the Open division. Besides, I really love speed, but don’t like reloading my gun for stages, so that’s why this division is a dream come true.
In 2018 you triumphed at the Far East Asia Handgun IPSC Championship, where you won the Production Overall with your CZ SHADOW 2 pistol. You beat over 140 competitors, which included men. How did you feel after the competition?
I was the happiest girl in the world! I love proving that everyone is equal in the IPSC; your age or gender doesn’t matter. If you have talent, passion, and a strong work ethic – you can win!
You always like to push your shooting further; what are your future goals?
I prefer to keep that a secret. The only thing I can say is that I want to do my best in the Open Division.
Please allow me to ask one personal question. I’ve heard that you enjoy karaoke. What is your signature piece?
I love karaoke so much that I decided to buy a professional karaoke system for my home. I’m singing and trying new songs a few times a week. I think my best song is “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele.
