The 52nd ISSF World Championship in all events will take place in Changwon, Republic of Korea, from 31 August through 15 September 2018, four years after the 2014 ISSF World Championship in Granada, Spain.
The World Championship Program includes 18 men’s and 11 women’s individual and team events, as well as 15 men junior events and 9 women junior events. In addition, there will be three Mixed Team events for seniors and three for junior athletes.
In the frame of its 52nd World Championship, the ISSF will also organize the second edition of the ISSF Target Sprint World Championship, that will consist of two men’s and two women’s individual events, one men’s and one women’s team event, and one mixed team event.
The renovation and new construction of the Changwon International Shooting Center that was done in preparation for the World Championship was completed before the World Cup and Test Event that took place in April of this year. The state-of-art venue boasts 100 10m firing points, 80 50m firing points, 70 25m targets and six shotgun ranges. The facility also features a large Rifle-Pistol Finals Range with 460 spectator seats and a completely new Running Target installation with two 50m ranges and five 10m ranges.
This will be a green and sustainable World Championship. A high priority goal of the Organizing Committee has aways been to provide an environmentally friendly event. A large solar power generation system has been installed over the main parking lot at the venue. The Shotgun events will use eco-friendly clay targets and the competition will be conducted as a paperless championship. Start and Results Lists will be available through a venue-wide high-speed internet system.
In the lead-up to the competition, ISSF Headquarters would like to remind all member federations, participating athletes and its stakeholders about some important points:
- Updated General Information (Official Program). The Organizing Committee of the 52nd ISSF World Championship, the Korean Shooting Federation and the ISSF have recently agreed on some changes in the World Championship “General Information” document. Some of the forms that National Federations must complete and submit have also changed. Changes include further instructions regarding applications for gun permits and the payment of fees. All Federations that plan to send teams to the WCH are strongly urged to download the new WCH General Information and Forms here, and to use this updated information in their preparations.
- Olympic Qualifying. Qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will begin on the first competition day, 2 September, when the teams finishing first and second in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team and 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team events will earn Olympic quotas. These quotas will be awarded to the teams’ NOCs and the athletes who earn them will also be eligible to earn quotas in Olympic individual events according to the IOC-approved Olympic qualification regulations for Shooting (download the latest version at: https://www.issf-sports.org/theissf/rules/amendments_interpretation.ashx). In addition to the 12 Mixed Team quotas that will be awarded during the Championship, a total of 48 individual event quotas will be awarded during the WCH (4 in each Olympic event).
- Shotgun Ammunition. Federations that plan to obtain shotgun ammunition in the Republic of Korea are urged to pay special attention to the “General Information” section on “Ammunition.” It will not be possible to purchase shotgun ammunition at the venue in Changwon. Federations that wish to obtain shotgun ammunition in Korea must order it in advance from Korean vendors who will deliver the ammunition that is ordered to the federations when they arrive at the venue in Changwon.
- Unofficial Training Before the Opening Ceremony. The World Championship Organizing Committee has agreed that teams wanting to come early before the Opening Ceremony will be able to train on the Changwon International Shooting Center ranges from 20 August through 30 August. Federations must submit an application for early training (Annex 10, Pre-Unofficial Training Form). Fees will be charged for all rifle, pistol and shotgun training in order to cover Organizing Committee costs for providing this training.
- Target Sprint Events. The World Championship program includes a full schedule of men’s, women’s, men junior and women junior Target Sprint events, including events for national teams, that will take place on 11-13 September. ISSF Member Federations are encouraged to participate in and support this dynamic new shooting “sport for all” discipline by entering participants in these competitions.
- 300m Events. The World Championship 300m events will take place on 8-14 September at the Jinhae Naval Shooting Range located south of the city of Changwon. A temporary shooting facility is being constructed there this summer and Sius electronic targets will be installed.
- Media Accreditation. Media accreditation is open. Please, find the media accreditation form here, and make sure to fill in and send back the form within 1 August 2018.
The Organizing Committee for the 52nd ISSF World Championship and the Korean Shooting Federation are ready and together with the ISSF, are looking forward to welcoming the best shooting athletes in the world to a great World Championship.