Shooting —Olympics: Shooting refers to the act of firing a gun . The shooting sports include use of different types of guns like fire arms and air guns . The shooters' proficiency is tested in the shooting competition.
Shooting in the Summer Games: Shooting was introduced to the Summer Olympics' schedule in the first modern Summer Games in 1896. Since then shooting has been a regular event at the Summer Olympics except the years 1904 and 1928. The number of shooting events has increased steadily with the advancement of the Summer Games. In the 1896 Summer Games , there were only three shooting events. At present the number of shooting events included in the Olympics ' program is 15. Among these events, nine events are for men and six events are for women. Shotgun, rifle, pistol and running target events are the four disciplines of shooting included in the Olympics. In the shotgun events, shooters shoot at clay targets propelled at various directions. There are three ranges in the rifle and pistol events. These ranges are of 10 meters, 25 meters and 50 meters . Events included in the Olympics men's shooting competition are 10meter air pistol (60 shots), 10meter air rifle (60 shots), 25meter rapid fire pistol (60 shot), 50meter pistol (60 shots), 50meter rifle 3 positions (3x40 shots), 50meter rifle prone (60 shots), double trap (150 targets), skeet (125 targets) and trap (125 targets). 10meter air pistol (40 shots), 10meter air rifle (40 shots), 25meter pistol (30+30 shots), 50meter rifle 3 positions (3x20 shots), skeet (75 targets) and trap (75 targets) are the events included in the women's shooting competition in the Summer Games.
Shooting at the 2008 Summer Games: At the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, the shooting events will be held between 9 th August and 17 th August. The shooting events are going to be held at the Beijing Shooting Range Clay Target Field in Xiangshan Nan Lu, Haidian District and Olympic Green Convention Centre, Chaoyang District. Total 15 gold medals will be given away for the Olympic shooting competition.
Ralf Schumann, Wang Yifu, Kimberly Susan Rhode, Jasna Sekaric, Lioubov Galkina, Mikhail Nestruev, Sergei Alifirenko, Andrea Benelli, Diana Igaly, Zemfira Meftakhetdinova, Ahmed Al Maktoum, Aleksei Alipov, Suzanne Balogh, Du Li, Matthew Emmons, Daina Gudzineviciute, Pia Hansen, Jia Zhanbo, Manfred Kurzer, Qinan Zhu, Lee Bo Na, Giovanni Pellielo, Michael Anti, Lenka Hykova, Jei Li, Maria Quintanal Zubizarreta, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Valentina Turisini, Sergei Martynov, Kim Jong Su, Adam Joseph Vella, Zheng Wang are the famous shooters who will be the expected top contenders in the 2008 Summer Games at Beijing .
