Shooting at the Olympics
Shooting has long been a part of the Olympic Games program.
- Pigeon shooting was a sport in 1900. Fortunately this shooting event was short lived. It was the only time animals were killed on purpose during an Olympic event [more]
- Women's shooting events were first included in the Olympics in 1984. There were three events, three position rifle, air rifle and sport pistol.
- The first brothers to win Olympic gold medals were Americans John and Sumner Paine - they came first in the military pistol and free pistol shooting events respectively in 1896.
- Right-handed Hungarian Karoly Takcaz, a member of the Hungary pistol-shooting team, had his shooting hand shattered by a grenade in 1938. After this setback he taught himself to shoot with his left, and 10 years later won the gold in the rapid-fire pistol event at the 1948 London Games.
- Oscar Swahn of Sweden won a gold medal for shooting at the 1912 Olympics, when he was 65 years old, and took a silver medal eight years later in 1920 when he was 72 years, 281 days old. He is the oldest ever Olympian. He also qualified for the 1924 Olympics but withdrew without competing.
- Shooter Jasna Šekarić is the only athlete to compete under four different flags at the Olympics. First she competed for Yugoslavia at Seoul in 1988 (gold medal in the 10 metre air rifle). She competed under the Olympic flag at Barcelona 1992. At Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 she represented Serbia and Montenegro, then in 2008 and 2012 she competed for Serbia following Montenegro's independence.
- The best all-time performing Shooter at the Olympic Games is Carl Osburn from the USA. He won 11 medals between 1912–1924. See more on the Greatest shooters at the Olympics.