At the 2014 ISSF World Shooting Championships in Granada, Spain, Gontcharov edged out China's Pu Qifeng by a tremendous 1.1-point advantage to claim his third career bronze medal (the first one being done in 2002 and the other in 2006) in the men's air pistol with 178.9 points. Despite missing out his chance to try for three consecutive Olympic bids since 2000, Gontcharov's third-place finish at the World Championships had guaranteed him an Olympic slot for the Russian team at the 2016 Summer Olympics, signifying his possible comeback from a sixteen-year absence.