Visually impaired shooting to be demonstrated at Suhl 2014

“A select number of athletes have been invited to enter into this special event and to trial new prototype equipment which could revolutionise the future of the sport.”

IPC Shooting has invited a select number of visually impaired athletes to take part in a demonstration event during the 2014 IPC Shooting World Championships in Suhl, Germany, with a view to future development of the sport under IPC Shooting.

The World Championships, from 18-26 July, are expected to attract around 250 athletes from 50 countries, offering a perfect opportunity to showcase the development concepts of the sport, including the equipment that can be used and how a competition might be run.

Sarah Bond, IPC Shooting Sport Manager said: “There is a great demand from countries to add visually impaired shooting onto the programme, so we are really pleased to have arranged a 40 shot air rifle standing contest at Suhl 2014.

“A select number of athletes have been invited to enter into this special event and to trial new prototype equipment which could revolutionise the future of the sport.”

IPC Shooting has been working to develop new prototype technology that is similar to that used in visually impaired biathlon, which uses sound pulses to direct an athlete to the centre of the target.

Those taking part in the event will have the chance to use two types of system, one that is 100 per cent electronic and uses an electronic rifle and target, and one combination system which utilises an electronic aiming device mounted on top of an air rifle for live firing at paper or electronic targets.

The principle of the demonstration event is not only to test the equipment, but also to showcase to National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) the current status and conceptual development of visually impaired shooting as an IPC Shooting discipline.

NPCs will have the chance to watch the demonstration and athletes will be given a survey to complete on the prototype shooting systems.

There will then be a dedicated session during the 2014 IPC Shooting Sport Forum (which consists of all NPCs which participate in shooting), being held at the World Championships for all feedback to be heard and considered.

The Sport Forum will also decide if the development project into visually impaired shooting will be continued under IPC Shooting, with the view to developing final technology and a sport-specific classification system by 2018.