Chiara Cainero produced the best women's score today, tied with Amber Hill ©Getty Images

Host nation Italy made a strong start to the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Shotgun World Cup in Lonato and lead the qualification standings in both the men's and women's team skeet events.

Tammaro Cassandro - an individual runner-up at the 2019 World Championships at this very venue, Trap Concaverde - led the way with a perfect score of 75 through three rounds of the men's contest.

Reigning Olympic champion Gabriele Rossetti and Luigi Lodde both scored 74, giving Italy a total of 223.

Cyprus are second with 221 and and Denmark scored 220.

Cassandro was one of four shooters to score 75 so leads the solo standings along with Stefanos Nikolaidis of Cyprus, Puruvian Nicolás Pacheco Espinosa and Remi Cloitre from France.

Reigning Olympic champion Gabriele Rossetti made a string start in Lonato ©Getty Images
Reigning Olympic champion Gabriele Rossetti made a string start in Lonato ©Getty Images

Italy's women's team includes Olympic champion Diana Bacosi and runner-up Chiara Cainero, plus Universiade gold medallist Chiara Di Marziantonio.

Cainero led the way with a score of 74 - tied with Britain's Amber Hill for the best individual total - and Italy's cumulative effort was 214.

The United States are two points behind and the Czech Republic scored 210.

Skeet competition is due to continue tomorrow, culminating in the individual finals.

Men's and women's team finals are scheduled for Tuesday (May 11).