Director’s Page The World’s Largest Shooting Event
BY ROBERT MITCHELL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
There is no question that
the Olympic Games are the most prestigious competi- tion event for all participating sports. The shooting events at the Olympic Games, how- ever, have only 390 compet- ing athletes in the 15 events. At this September’s World Shooting Championship in Granada, Spain there will be more than 2,000 athletes supported by another 1,000 coaches, offi cials, support- ers and industry personnel. When crowned “World
Champion” a shooting ath- lete can be confi dent that on that day he/she was in fact the best in the world. No top athlete was left home for lack of a participation quota as happens at the Olympic Games. At the World Cham- pionship, member federa- tions, all 166 of them, can enter three athletes to com- pete for medals in each event. World Championship pro-
grams includeJunior compe- tition in all events offering developing athletes the op- portunity to compete against the world’s best. This is a huge opportunity, not only to showcase junior talent but also to expose those younger shooters to the op- portunities of the Olympic Path. Whether they achieve glory on the awards podium or not, athletes return from such an event highly motivat- ed to continue their shoot- ing careers. This is more
important than meets the eye. Without that continu- ing commitment to sport, we could not have a successful pipeline that puts our ath- letes on the awards podium. Adding to the excitement
and motivation is the fact that the World Shooting Championship has team events. Each country’s three athlete scores from the des- ignated elimination or quali- fi cation round are totaled to determine the medaling teams. This adds a unique and exciting aspect to the World Championship and al- lows additional athletes to receive medals around their necks, again adding to the motivational aspect of the competition. Adding additional inter-
est and another facet of the World Championship is the inclusion of non-Olympic events which are contested at the world level just once every four years. Pistol ath- letes compete in .22 caliber Standard Pistol and Center Fire Pistol at 25 meters. The additional rifl e events include women’s 60-shot prone at 50 meters and there is also a series of high- power rifl e 300 meter events of 60 shots prone, 40 shots each of three-positions and a 60 shot three-position standard rifl e event. All three 300 meter competitions are now contested for both men and women. The 300 me- ter free rifl e three-position
8 USA Shooting News | September 2014
event was considered “king” of the shooting events un- til it was dropped from the Olympic program following the 1972 Munich Games where Lones Wigger, Jr. won the gold medal for the U.S. Running Target was discon- tinued for lack of worldwide participation following the 2004 Athens Olympics but both 50 meter smallbore and 10 meter running target airgun events are contested at the World Shooting Cham- pionship. From the foregoing out-
line, the enormity of host- ing a World Championship becomes obvious. There are few venues in the world capable of hosting such an expansive shooting event. Coordinating hotel accom- modations and bus trans- portation is a huge task in itself as is securing qualifi ed offi cials and range person- nel, providing food service and areas for athletes, in- dustry and spectators. Host- ing the Championship is indeed a huge task and the 2014 event will for the fi rst time include Finals competi- tion in the junior events. The thirteen day schedule is full and the days will be long. An important aspect of
the World Championship is that the 2014 event will be the start of Olympic qualify- ing for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Games with coveted participation quotas being awarded. As a result of the
Championship’s stature and large participation, more quotas are awarded at the World Championship than any other competition. Event quotas range from two in Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pis- tol to as many as six in the most highly contested air- gun events. The awarding of quotas adds both prestige and pressure to the relevant events. The start of Olym- pic qualifying also allows athletes to earn Minimum Qualifying Scores (MQS) which is required for Olympic participation thus insuring only truly skilled athletes are Olympic participants. Our World Championship
Shooting Team has been selected through a complex trials process. Our coaches and athletes are working hard to prepare our shoot- ing athletes for optimum performances. Please follow our Team via ISSF and USA Shooting news releases and web postings. It will be the most exciting September of the quadrennium!
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