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Shooting at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience

Vincent Hancock celebrating his gold medal win in the men's skeet shooting event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Shooting at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place in Beijing from August 9 to August 17. Competitions happened at two places: the Beijing Shooting Range Hall for rifle and pistol events, and the Beijing Shooting Range Clay Target Field for shotgun events. The host country won five of the fifteen events.

Some memorable moments include Czech shooter Kateřina Kůrková and American Matthew Emmons winning medals just years after they married following their meeting at the 2004 Olympics. Kateřina Emmons tied a world record with a perfect score in the women's air rifle competition. Abhinav Bindra made history by winning India’s first ever individual Olympic gold medal.

Even during tough times, like when Russia and Georgia were at war, shooters Natalia Paderina and Nino Salukvadze showed friendship by hugging and shaking hands after winning medals in the 10m Air Pistol. Many experienced shooters also took part, with some competing in their seventh or eighth Olympics. Sadly, the sport saw its first major issue with unfair advantages when a shooter from North Korea was stripped of his medals for using something not allowed to help with performance.

Events

Fifteen different shooting events were held, and medals were awarded for each one.

Each country could send up to two shooters for most events, but for the women's trap and skeet events, only one shooter per country was allowed. Shooters needed to meet a certain score to qualify for the Olympics. If a shooter already had a spot, the next highest scorer would get the spot instead.

Qualification

Quota places are as follows:

*Note - there will also be 10 invitation and 14 universality quota places

Event2006 WorldsShotgun WCHWorld Cups2007 Continental championshipsHost NationTOTAL
20052007200520062007EuropeAmericaAsiaAfricaOceania
50m Rifle Prone Men4--44432211-25
50m Rifle 3 Positions Men4--44432211126
10m Air Rifle Men5--44432211-26
50m Pistol Men4--44432211-25
25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men2---4421111117
10m Air Pistol Men5--44432211127
Trap Men31144443312131
Double Trap Men211-4411111-17
Skeet Men31144453312132
50m Rifle 3 Positions Women4--44432211-25
10m Air Rifle Women5--44432211127
25m Pistol Women4--44432211126
10m Air Pistol Women5--44432211-26
Skeet Women211-4411111118
Trap Women211-4411111118

Event schedule

All times are China Standard Time (UTC+8)

Medal summary

Medal table

  *   Host nation (China)

The medal winners in men's skeet. From left tor right: Tore Brovold, Vincent Hancock, Anthony Terras

Men's events

Kim Jong-su of North Korea lost his silver medal in the 50 metre pistol and bronze in the 10 metre air pistol after tests showed he used a substance that is not allowed.

Women's events

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 China*5218
2 United States2226
3 Czech Republic2103
 Ukraine2103
5 Italy1203
6 South Korea1102
7 Finland1012
8 India1001
9 Russia0224
10 Germany0134
11 Mongolia0101
 Norway0101
 Slovakia0101
14 Australia0011
 Croatia0011
 Cuba0011
 France0011
 Georgia0011
 Slovenia0011
Totals (19 entries)15151545

New records

Vincent Hancock in the finals for men's skeet, in which he earned the gold medal and set records both in the qualifying and finals.
DateEventRoundScoreAthletePrevious record
World records equalled
August 9, 2008Women's 10 m air rifleQual.400 Kateřina Emmons (CZE)400 by Seo Sun-hwa (2002), equalled 12 times
Olympic records broken
August 9, 2008Women's 10 m air rifleQual.400 Kateřina Emmons (CZE)399 by Lioubov Galkina (2004)
August 9, 2008Women's 10 m air rifleFinal503.5 Kateřina Emmons (CZE)502.0 by Du Li (2004)
August 10, 2008Women's 10 m air pistolQual.391 Natalia Paderina (RUS)390 by Marina Logvinenko (1996) and Tao Luna (2004)
August 10, 2008Women's 10 m air pistolFinal492.3 Guo Wenjun (CHN)490.1 by Olga Klochneva (1996)
August 12, 2008Men's double trapQual.145 Walton Eller (USA)144 by Ahmed Al Maktoum (2004)
August 12, 2008Men's double trapFinal190 Walton Eller (USA)189 by Russell Mark (1996) and Ahmed Al Maktoum (2004)
August 14, 2008Women's 50 m rifle 3 posFinal690.3 Du Li (CHN)688.4 by Lioubov Galkina (2004)
Olympic records equalled
August 13, 2008Women's 25 m pistolQual.590 Otryadyn Gündegmaa (MGL)590 by Tao Luna (2000)
August 14, 2008Women's 50 m rifle 3 posQual.589 Du Li (CHN)589 by Renata Mauer (1996)
Olympic records established after rule changes
August 10, 2008Men's trapFinal146 David Kostelecký (CZE)
August 11, 2008Women's trapFinal91 Satu Mäkelä-Nummela (FIN)
August 13, 2008Women's 25 m pistolFinal793.4 Chen Ying (CHN)
August 14, 2008Women's skeetQual.72 Chiara Cainero (ITA)
August 14, 2008Women's skeetFinal93 Chiara Cainero (ITA)
 Kim Rhode (USA)
 Christine Brinker (GER)
August 16, 2008Men's 25 m rapid fire pistolQual.583 Keith Sanderson (USA)
August 16, 2008Men's 25 m rapid fire pistolFinal780.2 Oleksandr Petriv (UKR)
August 16, 2008Men's skeetQual.121 Vincent Hancock (USA)
August 16, 2008Men's skeetFinal145 Vincent Hancock (USA)
 Tore Brovold (NOR)

Related articles

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