Sport Focus - 12 Things You Didn't Know About Shooting

February 2, 2018

Team Scotland’s fourth most successful sport of all time in terms of number of medals won, Shooting also boasts Scotland’s most decorated male and female athlete of any sport at the Games. As part of our Sport Focus in the countdown to Gold Coast 2018, here are 12 facts you might not know about Shooting at the Commonwealth Games:

  1. An optional sport on the programme, Shooting made its Commonwealth Games debut at Kingston 1966. The sport was not included at the next Games in Edinburgh in 1970 but has been included at every Games since.

 

  1. The four disciplines on the Commonwealth Games programme are: Clay Target; Pistol; Smallbore and Air Rifle; and Fullbore Rifle.

 

  1. Only two Shooting events have been contested at every Commonwealth Games since 1966; 50m Pistol and Fullbore Queen’s Prize Pairs. Of the other events, the 50m Rifle Prone has been included at all but the Auckland 1990 Games, while the Skeet was not included in 1966 but has been on the programme ever since.

 

  1. Scotland sit sixth on the all-time Commonwealth Games Shooting medal table with 45 medals; 12 gold, 15 silver and 18 bronze. Australia and England top the table – Australia in terms of gold medals won with 67, and England in terms of overall number of medals with 168, just five ahead of Australia.

 

  1. Scotland’s shooters had their most successful Commonwealth Games at Delhi 2010, winning nine medals; four gold, three silver and two bronze. Jennifer McIntosh and Jonathan Hammond each won gold in the Individual 50m Rifle Prone before teaming up with Kay Copeland and Neil Stirton respectively to win gold in both Men’s and Women’s Pairs events.

 

  1. Scotland’s most successful shooter is Alister Allan. His total of 10 medals over five Games appearances also makes him Scotland’s most decorated Commonwealth Games athlete of all time. Jonathan Hammond is Scotland’s most successful athlete at a single Games with two gold, a silver and a bronze at Delhi 2010.

 

  1. With two gold, one silver and two bronze medals, Jennifer McIntosh holds the accolade of Scotland’s top female shooter and Scotland’s most decorated female athlete in Games history – titles previously held by her mother Shirley.

 

  1. Scotland won its first Shooting medals at the Christchurch Games in 1974 where Colin McEachran won silver in the Fullbore Rifle and Alister Allan won bronze in the 50m Rifle Prone.

 

  1. Scotland’s first gold medal came four years later at Edmonton 1978 also courtesy of Alister Allan, who took victory in the 50m Rifle Prone ahead of Bill Watkins of Wales and Isle of Man’s Stewart Watterson.

 

  1. All Commonwealth Games Shooting events were open, until they were segregated by gender in 1994 for pistol and most rifle events, and in 2002 for trap and skeet events; whilst the full bore rifle competition remains an open event.

 

  1. Shooting events at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games will be held at the Belmont Shooting Centre in Brisbane, which also hosted the 1982 Games competition.
  1. The 2017 Commonwealth Shooting Federation Championships were the test event for the Gold Coast 2018 Games and Scottish shooters took four medals; Jennifer McIntosh and Seoniad McIntosh took gold and silver respectively in the 50m Rifle Prone, with Seonaid also taking gold in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions. Ian Shaw and Sandy Walker were bronze medallists in the Fullbore Pairs.

 

Meet the athletes who will represent Team Scotland in Shooting at Gold Coast 2018 in their Athlete Profiles.

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