Ghilli, who took two team gold medals in the skeet earlier this year, inflicted the fatal wound when bending over to pick up spent cartridges, dying late last night in hospital at Cecina.

He was given an emergency operation to try and stop internal bleeding, but he did not survive.

Ghilli was hunting with friends in the woodland area in Montecatini Val di Cecina and after the incident, his friends called the emergency services.

Tributes were led by the President of the Italian Shooting Federation, Luciano Rossi.

"Last October the young skeet player was crowned world champion in teams and in the mixed team, accompanying the gold with a third individual place in the World Cup in Lima in Peru," said Rossi, according to local media in Italy.

"In May 2021 he had won gold in the individual, team and mixed team competition in the European Championship in Osijek in Croatia.

"With respect, silence, condolences in the face of a tragedy that leaves everyone upset. 

"May the earth be light to you, Cristian."

Ghilli won the men's team skeet gold medal with Francesco Bernardini and Gianmarco Tuzi, and added a second with Sara Bongini in the the mixed skeet team competition.

In the men's individual skeet, he won bronze behind Americans Elijah Keith Ellis and Jordan Douglas Sapp.

He won all three of these events at the European Championship too.