Clay Target Q&A
With Russell Mark, Olympic gold and silver medallist
Questions: russell@corporateshootingstars.com.au
Q I was interested to know whether there has been any follow up with the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) as to the inclusion of Sporting Clays in future Olympic Games.
Heath Morrison, WA
A A few months ago, I attended a World Cup event where the topic of discussion among many of the ISSF executives was just this. I had the opportunity to have a coffee one day with one of the more influential members of the ISSF and it seems that the dream of having Sporting Clays at future Olympic Games is again a long way off.
It seems as though the greatest barrier to its inclusion is the topography and setting up of all shooting ranges in the world exactly the same to conduct a fair and equitable competition while still making the event interesting. To be conducted consistently worldwide would require every ISSF range to be located on reasonably flat terrain for at least 55m in front of the shooting positions. Many grounds around the world are located on the side of huge cliff faces or vast sloping hills, which would make setting up a predetermined Sporting Clays layout overlaying an existing Skeet and Trap field impossible.
Currently, the ISSF has a proposal on the table to keep the existing event of Double Trap with slightly modified rules to make the event more appealing once again to Trap shooters and making it slightly cheaper to compete and train in. The proposal involves reducing the event to four rounds of 15 pairs of targets and making the targets appear once again upon the shooter’s command, instead of the current delayed release of anywhere up to one second. The new rules would come into effect in 2013.