Shooting

Facts

Discipline of Shooting
Participants 5054
NOCs 153
Competitions held 288 (Venues)
Distinct events 100
IF International Shooting Sport Federation

Description

Sport shooting originated as a means of survival, as shooting was practiced to hunt game for food. In the 19th century, as the industrial revolution occurred and hunting for food became less necessary for more people, sport shooting evolved. The sport was first popular in English-speaking countries, notably England and the United States, but also in Ireland and South Africa.

The world governing body is the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), formerly L’Union Internationale des Fédérations et Associations Nationals de Tir, and also as the L’Union Internationale de Tir (UIT), which was formed on 17 July 1907, in Zürich, with seven founding members: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, and the Netherlands. As of 2022, the ISSF has 163 member federations from 149 countries or territories.

Shooting has been contested at most of the Olympic Games. Baron Pierre de Coubertin was an avid pistol shooter, so he saw to it that the sport was included on the program in 1896. There were also events in 1900, but none were contested in 1904 at St. Louis. At Amsterdam 1928, shooting events were also not on the program. This was due to the fact that, usually, prize money was awarded at shooting competitions, which was against the Olympic Charter, which allows only amateurs to participate.

The program has varied more than any other sport (with the possible exception of sailing/yachting). From 1908-1924, there were dozens of events, including numerous team events, and it was possible for shooters to win several medals at each Olympics. After the sport’s hiatus in 1928, it returned to the Olympics in 1932 with only two events – one for pistols and one for rifles.

Women were first allowed to compete in Olympic shooting in 1968, when all events became open to both genders; in that year, Mexico, Peru, and Poland each entered one female contestant. In 1976, Margaret Murdock (USA) won a silver medal in the small-bore rifle (three positions) event. In 1984, the UIT introduced separate events for women. Since that time, the women’s shooting program has been expanded at each Olympics, and the number of open events decreased. Beginning in 2000 at Sydney, men and women competed in fully separate shooting programs, with 10 events for men and seven for women. At Tokyo 2020, the program was equalized, with six events for men, six for women, and three mixed team events; men and women had two events in the three main types of shooting (pistol, rifle, and shotgun), while the mixed teams had one event for each type.

The top medal winners among the men in this sport all date from the period 1896-1924, when there were team events. Six marksmen have won five gold medals. Carl Osburn stands out among them as having won the most total medals (11), while Willis Lee uniquely won all his seven medals and five golds at the same Games, in 1920. In the women’s competition, the medal table is led by American shooter Kim Rhode, with six medals and three golds.

All-time medal table

Olympic Games

NOC Gold Silver Bronze Total
United States USA 57 31 28 116
People's Republic of China CHN 26 16 25 67
Soviet Union URS 17 15 17 49
Italy ITA 16 16 11 43
Sweden SWE 15 24 18 57
Great Britain GBR 13 15 19 47
Norway NOR 13 8 11 32
Germany GER 11 9 6 26
France FRA 9 12 9 30
Russian Federation RUS 7 14 12 33
Republic of Korea KOR 7 9 1 17
Switzerland SUI 7 6 10 23
Hungary HUN 7 3 7 17
Romania ROU 6 4 5 15
Unified Team EUN 5 2 1 8
Australia AUS 5 1 5 11
Finland FIN 4 7 10 21
Bulgaria BUL 4 7 6 17
Greece GRE 4 4 5 13
West Germany FRG 4 4 3 11
Poland POL 4 3 5 12
Canada CAN 4 3 2 9
Czechoslovakia TCH 4 3 2 9
Ukraine UKR 4 2 3 9
Denmark DEN 3 11 5 19
East Germany GDR 3 8 5 16
Czechia CZE 3 4 4 11
ROC ROC 2 4 2 8
Croatia CRO 2 0 1 3
Yugoslavia YUG 2 0 1 3
Belgium BEL 1 5 3 9
Austria AUT 1 2 5 8
Belarus BLR 1 2 4 7
Japan JPN 1 2 3 6
Slovakia SVK 1 2 3 6
Brazil BRA 1 2 1 4
India IND 1 2 1 4
Serbia and Montenegro SCG 1 2 1 4
Spain ESP 1 2 1 4
Peru PER 1 2 0 3
Cuba CUB 1 1 3 5
Independent Olympic Athletes IOA 1 1 3 5
Vietnam VIE 1 1 0 2
Azerbaijan AZE 1 0 2 3
Democratic People's Republic of Korea PRK 1 0 2 3
Slovenia SLO 1 0 2 3
Islamic Republic of Iran IRI 1 0 0 1
Lithuania LTU 1 0 0 1
United Arab Emirates UAE 1 0 0 1
Serbia SRB 0 2 2 4
Kazakhstan KAZ 0 2 1 3
Colombia COL 0 2 0 2
Mongolia MGL 0 1 1 2
Netherlands NED 0 1 1 2
New Zealand NZL 0 1 1 2
San Marino SMR 0 1 1 2
Argentina ARG 0 1 0 1
Chile CHI 0 1 0 1
Latvia LAT 0 1 0 1
Mexico MEX 0 1 0 1
Portugal POR 0 1 0 1
Republic of Moldova MDA 0 1 0 1
South Africa RSA 0 1 0 1
Kuwait KUW 0 0 3 3
Georgia GEO 0 0 1 1
Haiti HAI 0 0 1 1
Qatar QAT 0 0 1 1
Venezuela VEN 0 0 1 1

Intercalated Games

NOC Gold Silver Bronze Total
France FRA 4 3 5 12
Switzerland SUI 4 3 1 8
Greece GRE 2 3 3 8
Great Britain GBR 2 0 2 4
Sweden SWE 0 1 1 2
Italy ITA 0 1 0 1
Norway NOR 0 1 0 1

Youth Olympic Games

NOC Gold Silver Bronze Total
Mixed team MIX 4 4 4 12
Republic of Korea KOR 2 2 2 6
India IND 2 2 0 4
People's Republic of China CHN 2 1 0 3
Ukraine UKR 2 0 1 3
Russian Federation RUS 1 2 0 3
Switzerland SUI 1 0 2 3
Denmark DEN 1 0 0 1
Poland POL 1 0 0 1
Armenia ARM 0 1 0 1
Belarus BLR 0 1 0 1
Brazil BRA 0 1 0 1
Czechia CZE 0 1 0 1
Singapore SGP 0 1 0 1
Serbia SRB 0 0 2 2
France FRA 0 0 1 1
Georgia GEO 0 0 1 1
Germany GER 0 0 1 1
Guatemala GUA 0 0 1 1
Hungary HUN 0 0 1 1

Most successful competitors

Olympic Games

Athlete Nat Gold Silver Bronze Total
Carl Osburn USA 5 4 2 11
Willis Lee USA 5 1 1 7
Ole Lilloe-Olsen NOR 5 1 0 6
Al Lane USA 5 0 1 6
Bud Fisher USA 5 0 0 5
Otto Olsen NOR 4 3 1 8
Einar Liberg NOR 4 2 1 7
Jin Jong-O KOR 4 2 0 6
Lloyd Spooner USA 4 1 2 7
Vilhelm Carlberg SWE 3 4 0 7

Intercalated Games

Athlete Nat Gold Silver Bronze Total
Louis Richardet SUI 3 1 0 4
Léon Moreaux FRA 2 1 2 5
Marcel Meyer de Stadelhofen SUI 2 0 0 2
Georges Fouconnier FRA 1 1 1 3
Jean Reich SUI 1 1 1 3
Konrad Stäheli SUI 1 1 0 2
Maurice Lecoq FRA 1 0 2 3
Gerald Merlin GBR 1 0 1 2
Sidney Merlin GBR 1 0 1 2
Georgios Orfanidis GRE 1 0 0 1
Konstantinos Skarlatos GRE 1 0 0 1
Alfred Grütter SUI 1 0 0 1

Youth Olympic Games

Athlete Nat Gold Silver Bronze Total
Manu Bhaker IND 1 1 0 2
István Péni HUN 1 0 1 2
Denys Kushnirov UKR 1 0 0 1
Kim Jang-Mi KOR 1 0 0 1
Hadir Mekhimar EGY 1 0 0 1
Sarah Hornung SUI 1 0 0 1
Yang Haoran CHN 1 0 0 1
Pavlo Korostylov UKR 1 0 0 1
Go Do-Won KOR 1 0 0 1
Gao Tingjie CHN 1 0 0 1
Lidiya Nencheva BUL 1 0 0 1
Agata Nowak POL 1 0 0 1
Vladimir Svechnikov UZB 1 0 0 1
Kiril Kirov BUL 1 0 0 1
Zalán Pekler HUN 1 0 0 1
Saurabh Chaudhary IND 1 0 0 1
Grigory Shamakov RUS 1 0 0 1
Stephanie Grundsøe DEN 1 0 0 1
Vanessa Seeger GER 1 0 0 1
Erdenechuluun Enkhmaa MGL 1 0 0 1

Event types

Name Gender Still contested? Times held?
Air Pistol, 10 metres Men 9
Rapid-Fire Pistol, 25 metres Men 18
Air Rifle, 10 metres Men 10
Small-Bore Rifle, Three Positions, 50 metres Men 14
Trap Men 16
Skeet Men 7
Air Pistol, 10 metres Women 9
Sporting Pistol, 25 metres Women 10
Air Rifle, 10 metres Women 10
Small-Bore Rifle, Three Positions, 50 metres Women 10
Trap Women 6
Skeet Women 6
Air Pistol, 10 metres, Team Mixed 1
Air Rifle, 10 metres, Team Mixed 1
Trap, Team Mixed 1
Air Pistol, 10 metres Boys 3
Air Rifle, 10 metres Boys 3
Air Pistol, 10 metres Girls 3
Air Rifle, 10 metres Girls 3
Air Rifle, 10 metres, Team Mixed Youth 2
Air Pistol, 10 metres, Team Mixed Youth 2
Military Pistol, Team Men 1
Free Pistol, 25 metres Men 1
Free Pistol, 30 metres Men 1
Free Pistol, 50 yards Men 1
Free Pistol, 50 yards, Team Men 1
Free Pistol, 50 metres Men 19
Free Pistol, 50 metres, Team Men 3
Military Pistol, 25 metres Men 1
Military Pistol, 30 metres Men 1
Military Revolver, 1873-1874 Gras Model, 20 metres Men 1
Military Revolver, 20 metres Men 1
Dueling Pistol Au Visé 20 metres Men 1
Dueling Pistol Au Commandement, 25 metres Men 1
Dueling Pistol, 30 metres Men 1
Dueling Pistol, 30 metres, Team Men 1
Muzzle-Loading Pistol, 25 metres Men 1
Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres Men 9
Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres, Team Men 5
Free Rifle, Any Position, 300 metres Men 2
Free Rifle, Kneeling, 300 metres Men 1
Free Rifle, Prone, 300 metres Men 1
Free Rifle, Prone, 600 metres Men 1
Free Rifle, Standing, 300 metres Men 1
Free Rifle, 400, 600 and 800 metres, Team Men 1
Free Weapon, 200 Metres, Open Men 1
Shooting, Unknown Event Men 1
Free Rifle, 1,000 yards Men 1
Krag Gun, 200 metres, Civilians Men 1
Military Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres Men 1
Krag Gun, 200 metres, Military Men 1
Military Rifle, Any Position, 600 metres Men 1
Military Rifle, 1873-1874 Gras Model, Kneeling Or Standing, 200 metres Men 1
Krag Gun, 200 metres, Open Men 1
Military Rifle, Kneeling Or Standing, 300 metres Men 1
Krag Gun, 400 metres, Civilians Men 1
Krag Gun, 400 metres, Military Men 1
Military Rifle, Prone, 300 metres Men 1
Krag Gun, 400 metres, Open Men 1
Military Rifle, Prone, 300 metres, Team Men 1
Military Rifle, Prone, 600 metres Men 1
Military Rifle, Prone, 600 metres, Team Men 1
Military Rifle, Standing, 300 metres Men 1
Military Rifle, Standing, 300 metres, Team Men 1
Military Rifle, 200 metres Men 1
Military Rifle, 200, 400, 500 and 600 metres, Team Men 1
Military Rifle, 200/500/600/800/900/1,000 yards, Team Men 1
Military Rifle, Prone, 300 and 600 metres, Team Men 1
Small-Bore Rifle, Any Position, 50 metres Men 1
Small-Bore Rifle, Prone, 50 metres Men 17
Small-Bore Rifle, Prone, 50 metres, Team Men 1
Small-Bore Rifle, Standing, 50 metres Men 1
Smal-Bore Rifle, Standing, 50 metres, Team Men 1
Small-Bore Rifle, Prone, 50 and 100 yards Men 1
Small-Bore Rifle, 50 and 100 yards, Team Men 1
Small-Bore Rifle, Disappearing Target, 25 metres Men 1
Small-Bore Rifle, Disappearing Target, 25 metres, Team Men 1
Small-Bore Rifle, Disappearing Target, 25 yards Men 1
Small-Bore Rifle, Moving Target, 25 yards Men 1
Running Target, 10 metres Men 4
Running Target, 50 metres Men 2
Running Target, Single Shot Men 4
Running Target, Single Shot, Team Men 4
Running Target, Double Shot Men 4
Running Target, Double Shot, Team Men 2
Running Target, Single and Double Shot Men 2
Trap, Single Shot, 16 metres Men 1
Trap, Double Shot, 14 metres Men 1
Trap, Team Men 4
Double Trap Men 6
Unknown Event Men 1
Double Trap Women 3
Rapid-Fire Pistol, 25 metres Open 4
Free Pistol, 50 metres Open 4
Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres Open 2
Small-Bore Rifle, Three Positions, 50 metres Open 4
Small-Bore Rifle, Prone, 50 metres Open 4
Running Target, 50 metres Open 3
Trap Open 7
Skeet Open 7