Olympic Games

Shooting at the Olympics

Pigeon shooting was a sport in 1900. Fortunately this shooting event was short lived. It was the only time animals were killed on purpose during an Olympic event [more]
Women's shooting events were first included in the Olympics in 1984. There were three events, three position rifle, air rifle and sport pistol.
Right-handed Hungarian Karoly Takcaz, a member of the Hungary pistol-shooting team, had his shooting hand shattered by a grenade in 1938. After this setback he taught himself to shoot with his left, and 10 years later won the gold in the rapid-fire pistol event at the 1948 London Games.

Oscar Swahn of Sweden won a gold medal for shooting at the 1912 Olympics, when he was 65 years old, and took a silver medal eight years later, and thereby became the oldest ever Olympian. He also qualified for the 1924 Olympics but withdrew without competing.