The year that is about to close included records, first timers and many other interesting facts that made it a great year for Shooting sport.
An incredible year for Shooting sport is about to go in the books, with the 2016 ISSF World Cup Series and the Games of the XXXI Olympiad that characterized a season packed with events.
The main competition of the season has obviously been the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, held in Rio de Janeiro (BRA) from August 5th to August 21st. There, 15 Olympic Shooting events took place at the Olympic Shooting Centre, located in the Deodoro Park.
On the very first day of competitions, United States’ Virginia Thrasher secured the women’s 10m Air Rifle, the first Olympic title delivered at the Games, while Vietnam’s Hoang Xuan Vinh secured an historic Gold in the men’s 10m Air Pistol: the first one for his country at the Olympic Games.
On the Shotgun range, six days later, United States’ Kimberly Rhode wrote another page in the book of sport, becoming the first female Olympian to win six medals in six consecutive participation at the Games, from Atlanta 1996 to Rio 2016.
Another remarkable event was the 50m Pistol Men, held on August 10th, where Republic of Korea’s Jin Jongoh performed one of the greatest comebacks in the history of Shooting sport, securing his third consecutive Olympic title in this event and becoming the first shooter to reach such an unbelievable achievement.
Around the Olympic Games, from March to June 2016, the yearly ISSF World Cup unraveled, stopping in six different countries and delivering 60 World Cup titles.
The numbers of the single ISSF World Cup stages are the following:
- 331 athletes from 49 countries and 521starts in Bangkok (THA)
- 359 athletes from 60 countries and 364 starts in Nicosia (CYP)
- 652 athletes from 88 countries and 985 starts in Rio de Janeiro (BRA)
- 735 athletes from 88 countries and 1259 starts in Munich (GER)
- 372 athletes from 71 countries and 379 starts in San Marino (SMR)
- 636 athletes from 80 countries and 905 starts in Baku (AZE)
While these are the total numbers of the whole World Cup Series:
- In Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun, including MQS, 1728 athletes from 115 countries and 4413 starts
- In Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun, without MQS, 1566 athletes from 115 countries and 4003 starts
- In Rifle/Pistol, including MQS, 1061 athetes from 99 countries and 3147 starts
- In Rifle/Pistol, without MQS, 939 athletes from 98 countries and 2802 starts
- In Shotgun, including MQS, 667 athletes from 89 countries and 1266 starts
- In Shotgun, without MQS, 627 athletes from 89 countries and 1201 starts
The People’s Republic of China claimed the highest number of World Cup medals in the whole Series, securing 11 Golds, 10 Silvers and 12 Bronzes, while the United States finished with 15 total podiums: 5 Golds, 6 Silvers and 3 Bronzes.
Germany, Italy and the Republic of Korea are the other countries who finished the season with a double-digit tally of World Cup medals.
The youngest participant of the 2016 ISSF World Cup Series has been Melissa Joan Mauro of Indonesia, who competed in the women’s 10m Air Rifle event in Munich and was born on June 3rd, 2002, while the oldest one has been Canada’s Trap Women shooter Susan Nattrass, who took part in three World Cup stages and was born on November 5th, 1950.