Achilleos was one of four to score 73 from 75 after the first three of the five qualifying rounds at the Egyptian Shooting Club, located 15 kilometres from the Pyramids of Giza.

The others were home shooter Azmy Mehelba, Russia’s Vladimir Cherkasov and Qatar’s Rashid Hamad.

Slovakia’s London 2012 bronze medallist Danka Barteková leads the women’s skeet field going into day two, with a three-round score of 72.

That puts her one shot ahead of two rivals - the Czech Republic’s Anna Sindelarova and Poland’s Aleksandra Jarmolinska.

Three Russian women are on 70 - Natalia Vinogradova, Nadezda Konovalova and Arina Kuznetsova.

Meanwhile Russia’s Alina Fazylzyanova, winner earlier this month of the ISSF Grand Prix in Rabat, which was the first official ISSF competition held during the COVID-19 pandemic, is on 69.

Both the men’s and women’s individual finals will be held tomorrow, which will also mark the start of team competitions, with finals taking place on Friday (February 26).

The programme also includes international mixed team competitions, which will allow athletes who do not have a partner from their country to compete together for the first time.

The final of the mixed team event will conclude on Saturday (February 27).

Attention will turn to trap competitions next week, with two days of individual competition to conclude on March 2, with the mixed team event ending the following day.

Men’s and women’s team events will bring the World Cup to a close on March 4.