Shooting has been part of the Paralympic Games since Toronto in 1976 and in 2008, is practiced in 59 countries. Shooting is a test of accuracy and control, in which competitors use pistols or rifles to fire a series of shots at a stationary target. Competitions at the Paralympic Games are open to all athletes with a physical disability. There are two classes of competition, wheelchair and standing. Athletes compete in Rifle and Pistol events from distances of 10, 25 and 50m, in men's, women's and mixed competitions. Shooting utilizes a functional classification system, which enables athletes from different disability classes to compete together either individually or in teams. Shooting is governed by the IPC and co-ordinated by the IPC Shooting Technical Committee following the modified rules of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). These rules take into account the differences that exist between Shooting for the able-bodied and Shooting for persons with a disability.

Competition Description

The goal of Shooting is to place a series of shots inside the centre ring of the bull's-eye. The target is comprised of 10 concentric scoring rings with a score grade of one to 10, the central ring giving 10 points. In the final, the rings are subdivided into more score zones with 10.9 being the highest possible score.

Shooting competitions are divided into two major events: Air Rifle and Pistol competitions at three distance: 10, 25 and 50m. The rules depend on the gun, the distance, the target, the shooting position, the number of shots and the time limit. Competitors accumulate points for the value of their shots.

Each competition consists of a qualification and a final round. The score in the final round is added to the athlete's score in the qualification round. The winner is the competitor who gathers the most points by the end of the competition.

Of the 12 Paralympic Shooting events, six are open to both women and men, three are open to women only and three are open to men only.

Sports Equipment

Rifles and pistols: Athletes use .22 calibre rifles and air guns (pneumatic, CO2 gas or spring). Upon trigger activation, the CO2 liquid changes to gas and activates the projectile toward the target. The pneumatic rifle uses a multiple pump system to store air pressure in a reservoir and trigger compression activates the projectile toward the target.

Bullets: For 10m events held with an Air Rifle or Air Pistol, bullets with a diameter of 4.5mm are use. For 25m Pistol events, and 50m Pistol and Rifle events, 5.6mm bullets are used.

Target: The standard target is a cardboard square with concentric white and black rings around a black centre ring (or bull's-eye). For the Paralympic Games, five different targets are used depending on the type of gun. These targets are electronic for increased accuracy.

History

Since the Paralympic Games in 1980, Shooting has developed from a disability-orientated classification system towards a functional classification system. This has resulted in a reduction of the number of classes from five classes with separate events at the Paralympic Games of Seoul in 1988 to three classes with integrated events, which has been in effect since the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games.