Three new shooting sports have been introduced to the world scene, including the innovative Run & Shoot, which is aimed specifically at young people.
“We are aiming to develop Run & Shoot as a grassroots event, an easy step into our sport,” the secretary general of the International Shooting Sport Federation, Franz Schreiber, said.
“We want to give the youth a chance to practice shooting, to play an outdoor sport, and to have fun in a healthy environment.”
After a mass start, athletes run on a track for a 400- or 600-metre distance (depending on the age group), and then shoot at five falling targets at a 10m distance. Athletes shoot with an air rifle without optical sights, in standing or prone position (depending on the category).
The ISSF says athletes need no more than a pair of running shoes and a bit of stamina to take part. Rifles are provided, and no special shooting clothes or devices are permitted.
At the finals, athletes run the given distance five times, shooting four rounds in between. An unlimited number of shots are permitted to hit the targets, but the athlete cannot run again until all the targets are down. The first to cross the finish line wins.
Run & Shoot’s first outing was held yesterday in Germany as part of last week’s International Junior Shooting Competition, and was called a great success.
Meanwhile, the German event also saw the debut of 3×10, a timed competition combining prone, kneeling and standing rifle shooting.
“We are trying to develop a rifle competition format with shooting in all three positions and short change-over times between positions,” ISSF vice-president Gary Anderson said. “Our aim is to add a new dynamic to position rifle shooting that is a new skill for shooters to master.”
The third new event was the 10m Mixed Teams pistol shoot, where a male and female shooter from different nations are paired to compete. Teams ‘duelled’ to determine scores and places.
The format, described as “a lot of fun” by one participant, will be used for pistols and rifles in the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.
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