Spain Hosts World’s Best Shooters at ISSF Championships
Over 2000 rifle, pistol, and shotgun shooters will converge on Granada, Spain, later this week for the 51st Annual ISSF World Championship. This prestigious event, the biggest multi-discipline, multi-national shooting competition on the planet, kicks off on September 6th and continues through the 20th. Actual competition begins September 8 as athletes take to the line in Air Rifle, Free Pistol, and Trap.
America will field a strong team of 81 athletes (28 rifle, 23 pistol, 30 shotgun) representing 37 states. Team USA includes 15 past Olympians. Per usual, there is a large military presence on this USA Shooting Team with 15 USAMU members from Fort Benning, Georgia.
With more than 2,000 competitors set to compete, the Shooting World Championship is by far the biggest shooting event every quadrennium and the competition will be intense with the start of Olympic qualification and 64 quota spots available. Two times more quota spots will be available at this World Championship than in any other competition in the period leading up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
CLICK HERE for a complete ISSF World Championship Schedule
In terms of demonstrating actual shooting superiority, the World Championship stands alone for its prominence and competitiveness. At the 2010 World Championships, 35 nations finished on the podium of the 50th ISSF World Championship in 2010 from Munich, Germany. The People’s Republic of China finished atop of the medal standings, securing 21 Gold, 20 Silver and 11 Bronze medals, while Russia followed in second with 21 Gold, 13 Silver and 12 Bronze medals, for a total of 46 awards. The United States finished third in the medal standings with 11 gold, six silver and seven bronze for 24 medals. The U.S. also set four World Records during the 50th World Championships.
