Guide Note

Shooting has been an Olympic sport since the first Summer Olympics in 1896.¹ Under the current Olympic structure, male and female shooting athletes compete for 15 sets of medals. The events are divided by the type of guns used, which include rifles, pistols and shotguns.²

Fast Facts

1. Introduced to the Olympics in 1896¹
2. 15 shooting events; 9 men's and 6 women's²
3. Divided by gun type: Rifle, pistol and shotgun²
4. Live pigeons used at the 1900 Olympics, the only time animals killed in an Olympic event³

Shooting was one of nine sports contested at the first Summer Olympic Games in 1896. It has been held at each Summer Olympics since, with the exception of the 1904 and 1928 games. Olympic shooting operated strictly as a men's sport until 1968, when women were first permitted to compete alongside men in the same events. Separate women's shooting events were added to the program in 1984.¹

At the 2008 Summer Olympics, the shooting events were held from August 9 to August 17, 2008. Shotgun events were held at the Beijing Shooting Range Clay Target Field, while pistol and rifle events were held at the Beijing Shooting Range Hall.² The host nation of China took home the most shooting medals, winning eight. The United States won six medals, while Germany and Russia followed with four each.⁴ Kim Jong Su of North Korea had won one silver and one bronze medal, however both medals were stripped after he tested positive for a banned substance.⁵

Summer Olympics 2008 | US Olympic Shooting 2008 | Katerina Emmons | Olympics | Summer Olympics | Shooting