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The ISSF and the shooting family express their sincere condolences to Juan Antonio Samaranch’s family.

The International Shooting Sport Federation was deeply saddened to learn today of the death of former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch, who left us Wednesday in Barcelona. The ISSF expresses its sincere condolences in these painful circumstances.

Born in Barcelona in 1920, Samaranch has been leading the IOC for 21 years, until his reassignment in 2001. Restlessly working in favour of the Olympic movement, he improved the quality of the Games and increased the number of participating countries, developing TV rights negotiation, and strengthening Olympic Solidarity and women’s participation.

Mr. Samaranch played a crucial role in supporting the Shooting Sport and the ISSF within the Olympic Family, along his 21-year long presidency of the International Olympic Committee.

The ISSF, its leadership and the shooting family express their deepest sympathy to Juan Antonio Samaranch’s family.

Draft minutes from the 2009 ISSF Technical and Rifle Committees meetings on 08/09 November 2009 were recently posted on the Internet without authorization. Unfortunately, this posting made no attempt to explain any of the reasons for these proposals. This premature and incomplete posting created confusion and led to much discussion among shooters, trainers and equipment manufacturers. The ISSF is releasing this statement to give everyone concerned a full explanation and explain actions that will be taken regarding rifle shooter clothing in 2010.

First, the minutes from the 2009 ISSF Technical and Rifle Committees meetings contain only discussion topics and recommendations. ISSF Rules do not change until the ISSF Administrative Council approves changes and nothing in those minutes has been approved.   Second, those minutes contain preliminary proposals designed to address some serious rifle shooter clothing problems that developed in the last year.  The ISSF Technical and Rifle Committee expressed its opinion that some recently introduced shooter clothing was made of materials that could violate current stiffness rules. When a new model of shooting trousers stand up by themselves and do not collapse even after substantial pressure is placed on them, there is reasonable cause to doubt that this equipment complies with the ISSF Rules and Regulations.  When trouser seat pads become back supports, it is reasonable to issue new rule interpretations.  When IOC members ask critical questions about why elite shooter-athletes cannot walk normally, their questions must be taken seriously.  Stiffer clothing designed to provide increased support violates IOC rules prohibiting the artificial enhancement of athlete performance and ISSF rules prohibiting artificial support.

Continued efforts by manufacturers to produce rifle clothing that is less flexible than clothing currently approved and used by shooters can be similar to the “technological doping” that FINA (international swimming federation) fought last summer when it banned a whole series of new swimwear that had been worn by swimmers who totally rewrote their list of world records.  The ISSF would be abandoning its responsibility to our sport and its athletes if we do not act to control similar developments in shooting.

The ISSF has worked hard since 2005 to control rifle clothing stiffness and flexibility through stricter and more consistent equipment control testing.  The ISSF Athletes Commission and many athletes have applauded how this makes it possible for all shooters to have clothing that is relatively equal.  The ISSF and its athletes surely do not want to return to the unfair situation that sometimes occurred before that date when inconsistent enforcement and artificial manipulation of jackets and trousers (heat, etc.) allowed some shooters to compete with clothing that provided more support than clothing used by shooters who complied fully with the rules.

As part of its continuing efforts to keep all rifle shooter clothing sufficiently flexible to comply with ISSF rules and equal for all competitors, the ISSF will follow this plan of action during 2010:

1.   The most recent proposals of the ISSF Rifle and Technical Committees will be carefully studied and discussed by several groups within the ISSF before any final proposals are developed for presentation to the Administrative Council.  The opinions of athletes, trainers and manufacturers will of course be considered.

2.   ISSF Equipment Control Juries at 2010 World Cups and the 2010 World Championship will continue their strict enforcement of ISSF rules regarding clothing thickness, stiffness and flexibility.  Specially trained experts in these control procedures will chair all 2010 Equipment Control Juries.  Rule 6.6.3 gives ISSF Equipment Control Juries full authority to apply the flexibility standards of Rule 6.4.2.1.1 (must not immobilize or unduly reduce the movement of the shooter’s legs, body or arms) to determine whether all rifle clothing complies with the “spirit and intent” of that rule.

3.   ISSF Rule 7.4.7.8.2.3 regarding the height of the seat patch reinforcement states, The seat patch…vertical measurement must not be longer than to cover the normal wear points on the seat of the wearer. Starting in 2010, ISSF Equipment Control Juries will interpret this rule to mean that “normal wear points” are determined when shooting trousers are fully closed and the shooter is sitting.  This means that any pad or reinforcement placed directly below the waistband is illegal and must be removed.

4.   There is a concern that rifle shooting boots are becoming stiffer and less flexible.  As one way to check shooting boot flexibility, shooters may be asked by Equipment Control or Rifle Juries to walk normally with their jackets, trousers and boots on and fully closed or laced to demonstrate that their boots are flexible.  “Walk normally” means the knees must bend, the heels must strike the floor first and then visibly rise from the floor before the toes are lifted.

5.   A meeting of the ISSF Special Commission on Rifle Shooter Clothing will be organized in December 2010 to evaluate all aspects of rifle shooter clothing and prepare possible recommendations for future changes in ISSF rules or inspection procedures.  This meeting will include members of the ISSF Executive Committee, Administrative Council and the Technical and Rifle Committees.  Representatives of athletes, coaches and manufacturers will be invited to participate in this meeting.

The first ISSF D – Coaches course was held in Bar, Montenegro.

Thirty-two participants coming from six countries took part in the ISSF D – Coaches Test Course that was held in Bar, Montenegro, the first week of February. The course was conducted in the regional language of the country where it took place, and it was organized as a first test event for a possible future developement of the existing ISSF Coaches certification system, aiming to improve the knowledge of the ISSF coaching programs on a regional level. The  D-class course, in the intention of this Test, represents the first step to participate in ISSF C-class courses, which is still the first level of ISSF licensed coaches system (C – B – A licenses).

Montenegro’s highest authorities were present at the Course opening. The event was inaugurated by Montenegro’s President, Mr Dragan Samardzic, while the Town Major of Bar, Mr Zarko Pavicevic, welcomed the participants and met the delegation in an official reception.

The President of the Slovenian Shooting Federation, Gorazd Maloic, the Croatian National coaches Sinisa Vitez, Macedonian National coach Stevan Krsteski and BiH National Coach Amir Dautovic, along with Zarko Djurisic, conducted the Course under the guidance of Mr Zeljko Todorovic, lecturer for Pistol events of the ISSF Training Academy, assisted by Mr Goran Maksimovic, an Air Rifle Olympic Champion and certificated ISSF  A-coach.

Mr. Tomislav Sepec, the Chairman of the ISSF Rifle Committee, visited the Course on the last day, closing the event with Bar’s Vice-Major Dragan Simovic, who delivered the graduation certificates to the participants. All of them successfully completed the final exam with excellent results.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) elected yesterday Nanjing, People’s Republic of China, as the host city of the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2014 during the 122nd IOC Session in Vancouver, Canada.

Nanjing (CHN) won the bid with  47 votes, edging out Poznan, Poland, which received 42 votes.

“We had two outstanding candidatures from two fantastic cities. Both expressed the spirit of the Youth Olympic Games and both were capable of staging the event,” said IOC President Jacques Rogge. “We are looking forward to working with Nanjing, and are confident the Youth Olympic Games in 2014 will be a success.”

The second edition of the Youth Olympic Games (the first will be held next August in Singapore) will feature competition in 26 different sports, and some 3600 athletes between 14 and 18 years of age from all 205 National Olympic Committees are expected to participate.

Shooting competitions could take place at the Fangshan Sports Training Base of Jiangsu, as mentioned by Nanjing’s Bid committee on their official webpage.

“The preparation period for the second summer edition of the Youth Olympic Games will take four-and-a-half years, which will allow Nanjing to match both the expectations of the IOC and the athletes in producing a programme of sport, culture and education that is of the very highest standard,” Rogge added.

Following the path inaugurated by the IOC with the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, this year, the 2014 YOG will feature a fully fledged education programme aiming to raise participants’ awareness of the Olympic values and topics like healthy lifestyles and the fight against doping.

More than 500 shooters met at the IWK Air Gun competition held at the 1972 Olympic Shooting Range of Munich, to compete in the first test match of the year from the 27 through the 30 of January.

The 2010 shooting season is the first step on the path leading to the 2012 Olympic Games, as the first London Olympics Quota Places will be assigned at the 50th ISSF World Championship to be held in Munich, next July. The ISSF World Cup Series will start next march, but Rifle and Pistol shooters met in Munich in these days for the first test match of the season. The traditional IWK Air Weapon competition of Munich gave to international athletes a first chance to meet and compete: the road leading the ISSF World Championship in Munich started from… Munich!

Air Rifle Women – Pfeilschifter equalled the World Record, Emmons back to competition.

The German ace shooter Sonja Pfeilschifter fished in the spotlight during this year’s IWK edition by winning the first 10m Air Rifle Women match equalling the World Record of 400 points, set Seo Sun Hwa (KOR) eight years ago at the ISSF World Cup in Sydney. Pfeilschifter had already tied the World Record two years ago, at the 2008 ISSF World Cup in Milan, and she seems to be used to mark high scores here in Munich, her home range. The Bavarian shooter, competing in front of her supporters, made it into the final round in first place, with three points of advantage on Katerina Emmons, and shot in the lead right to the highest step of the podium, claiming gold with a total of 504.8 points. The 2008 Olympic Champion Emmons came back to International competitions after missing since more than one year: she had stopped competing at the beginning of the 2009 season, as she was expecting a baby with her husband Matthew. She came back to the shooting lines here in Munich, winning a Bronze medal in the first Air Rifle Women match with a total score of 499.6 points and making it into the second match’s final round.  “It’s great to be back on competition – said Katerina – I still have to train a little bit, but I feel ready to go. I will take part in the first ISSF World Cup stage in Sydney, and I will probably compete in some other stages. But this year’s most important competition is the ISSF World Championship, next July. I will be there!”

Air Pistol Women – Kostevych back on top

The 2004 Olympic Champion Olena Kostevych of Ukraine has been a protagonist of the IWK’s Air Pistol competitions. The 25-year old pistol shooter won both the Air Pistol women matches, securing two Gold medals back to back. On the first day of competition, the 28th of January, she entered the final match with a qualification score of 387 points, climbing then the scoreboard with a final of 102.1 points. She finished in first claiming Gold with a total of 489.1 points, leaving her Russian opponent Olga Kuznetsova in second with 489.0 points. Kostevych climbed upon the Air Pistol podium once again today, securing her second consecutive Gold medal with a total of 488.1 points. After qualifying for the final match with a score of 391 points, she struggled during the final round, recording 97.1 points out of her ten final shots. Thanks to a consistent head start, she did not jeopardize her match, and left Belarus’ Viktoria Chaika in second place with 486.1 (387+99.1) points. The Ukrainian shooter had been missing for a few years from the top rankings, after her victory at the 2004 Olympic Games. She came back on top here in Munich during last year’s ISSF World Cup stage, when she won Gold outscoring her opponents. Kostevych knows very well the 1972 Olympic Shooting Range of Munich, where she has been competing and winning for years, and this could turn into an advantage next July, when she will take part in the 50th ISSF World Championship trying to secure a Quota Place for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Air Rifle Men – Two medals to Israel’s Rikhter

The Israeli shooter Sergy Rikhter finished on the podium twice, during this year’s IWK Air Weapon event. The 21-year old Rifle shooter won today’s 10m Air Rifle match with a total score of 702.9 (599+103.9) points, leading the match form the first to the last shot. He had claimed a Bronze medal in the first Air Rifle match just two days ago, finishing in third place with 699.1 (598+101.1) points after passing through a shoot-off for the podium. The young shooter had surprised everybody during last year’s ISSF World Cup stage here in Munich, when he had won the Gold medal with an equalled Junior World Record of 599 points outscoring his older opponents. The Olympic multi-medallist Matthew Emmons also took part in the competition. Emmons, who had closed the 2009 season at the ISSF World Cup Final in Wuxi (CHN), finished in tenth place, today, closing with a total of 596 points. The American shooter, here with his wife Katerina, said to be ready for the 2010 season: “Munich’s World Championship is definitely the most important match of the year. Munich’s shooting range is excellent, and there are always some great scores. I heard that more than 2000 people are going to take part in the World Championship, because of the Olympic Quotas. It is going be interesting: so many athletes know this shooting range, most of them have probably competed here more than once, and therefore the match is going to be even tougher!” “I am going through our national selection matches – Emmons added – And I think I will take part in the first ISSF World Cup stage in Sydney”.

Air Pistol Men – Russian shooters led the match

The Russian pistol team proved once again to be almost unbeatable, here in Munich. Both the 10m Air Pistol Man matches were won by Russian shooters that left few chances of victory to their opponents. The winner of the 2009 ISSF World Cup in Munich Vladimir Gontcharov, 33, secured two medals back to back. First he claimed Gold at the first match, finishing in first place with 684,9 (583+101.9) points, and then closed the second match in third place claiming a Bronze medal. His teammate Vladimir Isakov, an Olympic Bronze medallist of Beijing 2008, won the second match.