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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Jessica Rossi of Italy and Peter Sidi of Hungary are the “Shooters of the Year 2009”. The two athletes were named as best shooters of the past season by the members of the International Association of Shooting Sport Journalists, a commission of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS). Rossi and Sidi won the votes of the delegates thanks to their outstanding performances throughout the 2009 ISSF World Cup Series, World and Continental Championships.

Jessica Rossi, an Italian Trap Shooter, won the most of the commission’s votes, securing the title with 76 points. During the 2009 season, when she was still 17-year old, the prodigious athlete conquered the World Title at the ISSF World Championship of Maribor (SLO), facing and beating experienced champions on her way to the highest step of the podium. Nobody could resist Rossi’s perfect rhythm, this year. The Italian phenomenon won also at the European Championship held in Osijek (CRO), and placed twice on the podium during the ISSF World Cup Series, claiming Silver both in Cairo and Munich. Rossi turned eighteen the last 7^th of January, and the new year brought her a new challenge: the 2010 World Championship in all events in Munich, where the first Olympic quota places of London 2012 will be awarded. Will she defend her title, gaining an entrance ticket for her first Games?

Peter Sidi, a 31-year old Rifle ace-shooter, became the 2009 Shooter of the Year with 75 points thanks to the breathtaking series of extreme results he nailed throughout the season. Sidi, an Olympic finalist of Beijing in the Air Rifle Men event, won medals shooting on all distances, this year. At the European Championship of Osijek (CRO), he claimed a clamorous Gold medal at the 300m Rifle Three Positions Men event by setting a new World Record of 1184 points, finishing in first with nine points of advantage on his followers. Sidi became the “rifle king” of Osijek by winning also the 50m Rifle Three Positions Men match, climbing up the scoreboard throughout a severe final round. The Hungarian athlete displayed his skills also on world-level arenas, grabbing a Gold medal at the ISSF World Cup in Beijing and a Silver medal in Munich. Sidi closed then the season on the podium at the ISSF World Cup Final in Wuxi (CHN), when he placed in second at the 10m Air Rifle Men event.

The 2010 season is yet to start and ready to challenge the two shooting champions. The first ISSF World Cup Stage will kick-off in Acapulco, Mexico, where Shotgun shooters will meet after the long winter break on the 1st  of May. The Olympic Shooting Range of Sydney, Australia, will host the first 2010 World Cup Stage in Rifle and Pistol events, starting from the 20th of March. The International shooting season will then climax right up to the 50th ISSF World Championships in all events of Munich, next July, where more then 2000 athletes will participate in the biggest shooting competition ever, trying to secure the first London 2012’ Olympic Quota Places.

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The International Shooting Sport Federation re-tested all Electronic Scoring Target systems which had been approved by ISSF once, and the result is as follows.
For further information, please contact the ISSF Headquarters.

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50th ISSF World Championship – Qualification to London’s Olympic Games

2010 is going to be a year Olympic qualification: the first Quota Places for the 2012 London Olympics will be awarded during the ISSF World Championship in all events taking place in Munich, starting July the 29th.

The 50th ISSF World Championship will take place at the 1972 Olympic Shooting Range in the outskirts of Munich, which has been renewed to host the most important shooting competition of the year. A record number of athletes is expected to take part in the elite match, to compete in fifteen Olympic events and in several non-Olympic and junior events.

“This venue is fantastic! I’ve been competing here in Munich during the 1972 Olympic Games! It has always been one of the best ranges of the world.” said the ISSF President Olegario Vàzquez Raña, visiting the venue during the 2009 World Cup held here “We have received a report from the organizers of the 2010 World Championships – the President continued – and I am sure that it is going to be a great event. We trust on our German friends, and the 50th ISSF World Championships is probably going to best championship we have ever been preparing.”

“The best shooters of the world will come to Germany. – Said the President of the German Shooting Federation, Josef Ambacher, speaking about the most important ISSF competition of the year – We have been entrusted by the International Shooting Sport Federation to Organize this World Championship. We are aware of the great honour and we will endeavour to make this event a successful festival with a positive response in the public. The sports facilities are in excellent condition and the final rehearsal at the World Cup 2009 has shown that even the newly-built clay target facility meets the highest international standards.”

Youth Olympic Games – 80 shooters in Singapore

Youth will be in the spotlight, during the 2010 season. Qualification competitions are taking place in all continents, leading to the first edition of the Youth Olympic Games that will kick-off in Singapore the 14th of August. There, 3200 athletes aging between 14 and 18 will compete in 26 different sports. Eighty young shooters will have a chance to compete in four events: Air Rifle and Air Pistol, Men and Women, carrying on the shooting sport Olympic tradition.

The first Youth Olympic Games quota places where awarded at the Oceania Championship in Sydney (AUS) and at the Asian Championship in Doha (QAT).

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50m Running Target Mixed Men – Two shoot-offs closed the match.
Two shoot-offs closed an exciting 50m Running Target Mixed Men competition, at the 2009 ISSF Running Target World Championship in Heinola.
After finishing the match with a tied score of 392 points, Maxim STEPANOV of Russia met the home shooter Steffan HOLMSTROM of Finland in shoot-off for Gold. After the first shoot-off round, both the athlete had shot an equal shoot-off score of 18 points. The second shoot-off round solved the contest in favour of the 29-year old STEPANOV, who claimed Gold beating HOLMSTROM 19 to 18 points.
After scoring 391 points, Niklas BERGSTROEM of Sweden won the shoot-off for Bronze, beating 20 to 19 points the Russian shooter KOLESOV.

The Russian Federation claimed the Team Gold, totalizing a score of 1169 points scored by Maxim STEPANOV, Igor KOLESOV and Alexander IVANOV. Following only one point behind, Finland placed in second, shooting Silver with a total of 1168 points, while Team Bronze went to Czech Republic with a score of 1158 points.

50m Running Target Men – Stepanov equalled the World Record.
Russia’s Maxim STEPANOV, 29 won the 50m Running Target Men event with a total score of 596 points, equalling the World Record set by Niclai LAPIN (URS) in 1987. STEPANOV’s record score left no chances to his opponents. Finland’s Krister HOLMBERG finished in second place six points behind him, with a total of 590 points, while Bronze went to the Slovakian shooter Peter PELACH, third with 589 points after winning a shoot-off against Russia’s ROMANOV.

Thanks to STEPANOV’s record score, and to the results of his teammates ROMANOV and KOLESOV, Russia secured the Team Gold with a total score of 1768 points. HOLMBERG’s Finland finished in second place, claiming Silver with an overall score of 1752 points, while Slovakia finished in third winning Team Bronze with 1745 points.

50m Running Target Men Junior – Boros claimed Gold with a 10-point advantage.
The 19-year old Czech athlete Lazlo BOROS claimed the 50m Running Target Men Junior Gold medal at the 2009 ISSF Running Target World Championship in Heinola. The junior shooter, a multi-medallist of this Running Target World Championship, finished in the lead with a total score of 587 points, putting ten points between him and his followers.
Finland’s Tomi-Pekka HEIKKILA finished in second securing Silver with a total of 577 points, after outdoing Russia’s Mikhail AZARENKO 19 to 18 points in a shoot-off. The two-time Gold medallist AZARENKO finished in third place, winning Bronze.

The Russian Federation finished on the highest step of the Team Podium, securing Gold with a total of 1725 points. Team Silver went to Finland with 1710 points, while Bronze went to Ukraine (1689 points).

Results:
Check the results of the 2009 ISSF Running Target World Championship.

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19-year old Russian shooter Yuri DOVGAL won today’s 50m Running Target Mixed Men Junior competition, securing the Gold medal with a total score of 389 points and with four points of advantage on his followers. The young athlete claimed his first individual Gold medal. He had won Silver in this event both at the 2008 and at the 2009 European Championship, winning also several team medals, but he had never won an individual competition, before.

Following in second place, the talented 19-year old Hungarian shooter Laszlo BOROS claimed Silver with 385 points. BOROS had finished in second also at last year’s World Championship in Plzen.

Mikhail AZARENKO of Russia, one of the most titled junior shooter of this World Championship, closed the match in third place, securing Bronze with a total score of 381 points, only one point more then what scored by Finland’s Marten WESTERLUND, fourth with 380 points.

Teams: Russia four points ahead.

Thanks to the excellent performances of DOVGAL, AZARENKO and Alexander NAUMENKO (who place in eighth in the individual competition), the Russian Federation brought back home the Team Gold with a total of 1139 points.

Four points behind, the home team, Finland, placed in second winning the Team Silver thanks to the 1130 points scored by Marten WESTERLUND, Tomi-Pekka HEIKKILA and Sami HEIKKILA.

Ukraine (Igor MATSKEVYCH, Oleg SALAMANKHA and Lev ZAPOTICHNYY) secured Team Bronze with 1084 points.

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