Munich, Jun 9, 2017: ISSF Welcomes IOC Decisions, The International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) today welcomed the decision of the IOC Executive Board (EB) to approve the changes to the Olympic Shooting sports program to achieve gender equality and maximize the sport’s popularity and international appeal at Tokyo 2020.
The IOC Executive Board decision approved the ISSF proposal to replace three men-only events (50m Rifle Prone, 50m Pistol and Double Trap) with three mixed team events (10m Air Rifle, 10m Air Pistol and Trap).
As part of Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC’s strategic roadmap for the future, mixed team events were encouraged as a means of ensuring gender equality. The introduction of these new mixed team events will provide new excitement and best promote long-term future growth of the sport.
“Having been part of the sports program since the creation of the modern Olympic Games, the ISSF greatly values its partnership with the IOC.
Of course we recognize the need to continually improve,” said ISSF President Olegario Vázquez Raña.
“The IOC encouraged the inclusion of mixed gender team events, and this is the kind of innovation that the ISSF has a proud history of bringing to our sport, like the introduction of finals and electronic scoring. The ISSF is determined to evolve and innovate the shooting sport for the benefit of our athletes and fans and to do all we can to help ensure the success of Tokyo 2020.”
In order to create the best possible proposal for the IOC, the ISSF conducted a comprehensive two-year process of consultation and discussion resulting in unanimous approval of the recommendations for change by the ISSF Executive Committee and Administrative Council earlier this year.
The proposal was supported by a comprehensive event based analysis conducted by the IOC after the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. This analysis revealed that the three men’s events being replaced were outperformed by other events on the Olympic Shooting program.
The IOC Agenda 2020 also introduced a 10.500 athlete limit on participation at the Olympic Games. At Rio 2016, 11.237 athletes competed. In line with its efforts to ensure the future sustainability of the Olympic Games the IOC also announced today that the quota of shooting athletes at Tokyo 2020 will be 360, compared with 390 at Rio 2016.
“Naturally the ISSF is disappointed in the reduction of athletes and would like to have maintained a quota of 390 athletes at Tokyo 2020, but the sustainability of the Olympic Games is critical for the future of all sports in the Games,” continued President Vázquez Raña.
“Shooting has always been one of the most universal sports in the Olympic Program, and even with the modest reduction in quotas, the ISSF is confident that the shooting competitions of Tokyo 2020 will still be one of the most universal sports.
With the IOC decision to approve the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Program, our federation must now focus its attention on working to ensure the success of the Tokyo Olympic Games.“ —- ISSF
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