Overview
Shooting is among the oldest Olympic sports, having featured in every edition of the modern Games except for 1904 and 1928. What sets it apart is its reliance on mental discipline, concentration, and technical precision over physical power — making it accessible to athletes of widely varying ages and physical builds.
Olympic shooting is contested across three disciplines. The first is rifle, where shooters fire at stationary targets from 10m and 50m in standing, kneeling, and prone positions. The second is pistol, including the 10m air pistol, 25m rapid fire pistol for men, and 25m pistol for women. The third is shotgun, in which competitors fire at clay targets launched into the air on fast, unpredictable trajectories; it is divided into trap and skeet, contested in men's, women's, and mixed team events.
The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) governs the sport and continuously refines competition formats to boost spectator appeal. Lengthy qualifying rounds are followed by an intensive elimination-style final, where athletes face the tournament's defining moments under maximum pressure, in front of live audiences and television cameras.





