Shooting Para Sport

Shooting is the ultimate test of accuracy and control and in shooting Para sport events, athletes with physical impairments compete in rifle, pistol and trap events.

Shooting Para Sport has featured at every Paralympic Games since 1976 and is today practised in more than 75 countries.

In this precision sport, athletes use focus and controlled breathing to reduce their heart rates and improve stability and high performance. This ability to steady hand and mind to deliver a sequence of shots requires well-developed powers of concentration and emotional control.

Athletes compete in events from distances of 10m, 25m and 50m in men’s, women’s and mixed competition events.

Of the 13 Paralympic shooting events, seven are open to both women and men, three are open to women only and three are open to men only.

World Shooting Para Sport recently adopted the discipline of Para trap and new classes for Para trap and vision impaired (VI) shooting

The sport is governed by the IPC and co-ordinated by the World Shooting Para Sport Technical Committee and Management team.

The sport follows rules of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) in conjunction with its own World Shooting Para Sport Technical Rules and Regulations, which take into account considerations for Para athletes in shooting sport.

In 2010 the IPC and the ISSF signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate and work together in developing shooting sport; the agreement covers several areas including management, promotion of competitions and events, knowledge exchange, and education of technical officials.

Source of information credit: International Paralympic Committee
Source of photo credit: Hong Kong Sports Association for the Physically Disabled