Swedish Shooting Sport Federation's Answer Regarding the ISSF Program
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Stockholm December 14th, 2016 Swedish Shooting Sport Federation’s answer regarding the ISSF program proposals to the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020 ISSF Headquarter Bavariaring 21 D-80336 München Germany The Swedish Shooting Sport Federation advise the ISSF Ad-Hoc Committee to withdraw the proposal of changes of Olympic Shooting events in Tokyo 2020 because of the far-reaching consequences for our shooting sport, and for the shooters and future organizers of the Championships and World Cup events. We approve and are positive to a gender-neutral competition at the Olympics and we realize that we as a sport need to be open to make our sport more spectator-friendly. However, we believe that the program proposed by the Ad-Hoc Committee does not favor our sport and our shooters. The positive benefits of the proposal from an audience perspective is very limited. If ISSF still want to make changes in the proposed direction, we prefer other types of changes that we believe will benefit the shooting sport in a better way. Our alternative proposals are described at the end of this letter. Mixed teams in our events We can understand that mixed competitions can bring a positive dimension for the spectators in some sports. We are, however, doubtful as to whether the shooting is a sport in which mixed teams adds something extra in terms of pure experience for the spectators. Shooting belongs to a group of very few sports which can drive the gender issue even further and introduce completely gender-neutral competitions. It may not be possible in all events where the physical conditions between men and women can play a major role, but in most disciplines it is quite easy to implement. The introduction of mixed teams will most likely have far-reaching negative consequences for small countries, especially if they are in parts of the world with high competition. A small country must have both one man and one woman in the world class elite in the event. That will complicate the qualification for the Olympics. The introduction of new shooting events that clearly favors large and economically powerful nations cannot be in the spirit of the Olympic games. SWEDISH SHOOTING SPORT FEDERATION Address: Box 11061, 100 61 Stockholm, SWEDEN | Office: Skansbrogatan 7 Telephone: +46-8-699 63 70 | e-mail: [email protected] | www.skyttesport.se Of all the nations that qualified for the shooting competitions at the Olympic Games in Rio, only six nations had one man and one woman represented in the trap competition. Of all the nations represented in the air rifle, less than 50% of the nations had one man and one woman in the event. In the pistol competition, it was even lower representative where only just over 40% of the nations in the air gun competition had both a man and a woman at the Olympics. 50m Rifle Prone Men Regarding 50m Rifle Prone Men, this is the discipline with the highest number of participants at the World Cup and the Championships. It is also the rifle discipline that is predominant in several parts of the world. If it is removed from the Olympic program it will almost certainly make it harder or dramatically reduce the possibility to have financial support for shooting in these countries. In the long run, it will liquidate the shooting discipline. This cannot be good for the ISSF. The fact that the discipline is still available after the proposed change at other Championships does not matter. It is a very big difference in many countries when it comes to Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines in terms of economic support. One effect will be that the number of starts in the World Cups will be reduced, with negative economic consequences for the organizers. Presumably, this will mean that the number of organizers will decline in number going forward. We have heard argument from ISSF-representatives in the style of that it is only a question of who has the most expensive and best weapons and ammunition when it comes to gold medal in 50m Rifle Prone Men. This kind of argument does not hold if you look a little closer at the results from the Championships and World Cups. In 2016, shooters from ten different nations have been on the podium. They have competed with weapons coming from four different arms manufacturers. If it was as simple as a material issue like buying an expensive weapon and look for good ammunition, we would not see this flora of nations and weapon brands in medal places at championships. IOC agenda and tradition Our dialogue with IOC Athletes Commission member Stefan Holm regarding mixed team does not correlate with ISSF standpoint on this issue. According to Stefan mixed team is not a priority subject of the IOC. As far as he knows, it is very few sports that will implement mixed team events. He cannot recall that the issue has been raised specifically at any time whatsoever in the IOC meetings and agenda. This is also reflected in Agenda 2020 (context and background). In this rather extensive material of over 100 pages, the mixed team competition is only mentioned in a rather short sentence. Are we ready to sell out over 100 years of shooting tradition only based on this sentence? SWEDISH SHOOTING SPORT FEDERATION Address: Box 11061, 100 61 Stockholm, SWEDEN | Office: Skansbrogatan 7 Telephone: +46-8-699 63 70 | e-mail: [email protected] | www.skyttesport.se OUR ALTERNATIVE PROPOSAL Rifle disciplines Our proposal is to keep the 50m Rifle Prone event, but as a completely gender-neutral discipline open for all. If ISSF are concerned that women do not get the opportunity to compete, you can reconfigure the system of World Cups and Championships starts by increasing the number of starts from three (plus two MQS) to a total of four regular starts, with the restriction that there must be a maximum of two women and two men per nation. After that you compete on the same terms for medals and quota places, and the best man or woman stands victorious in the competition. There are many good reasons to maintain this discipline, but perhaps the most important is that this is the most widespread of all the rifle disciplines, with absolute most shooters around the world. This is in many cases the only discipline that it is possible for countries with limited financial resources and semi-professionals to still compete in. To remove the event will have significant economic consequences for the World Cup organizers. Pistol disciplines We do not think it is a good idea to remove 50m Pistol Men. This event is the ultimate challenge for a pistol shooter. If it is necessary to remove a pistol event, we prefer to remove 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men instead. This discipline is relatively small and affect less number of shooters around the world. It should also have a limited impact in economic terms for the World Cup organizers as 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men is the smallest pistol competition seen from the number of participants at the World Cups. Our proposal is therefore to replace the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men with 25m Standard pistol as a gender-neutral event, with restrictions similar to the ones suggested in 50m Rifle Prone. Equal amount of disciplines for men and women in Rifle and Pistol events The above scenario would give the Olympic shooting five Rifle disciplines, two for men and two women and one gender-neutral event. 1) 10m Air Rifle Men 2) 10m Air Rifle Women 3) 50m Rifle Position Men 4) 50m Rifle Position Women 5) 50m Rifle Prone All-gender SWEDISH SHOOTING SPORT FEDERATION Address: Box 11061, 100 61 Stockholm, SWEDEN | Office: Skansbrogatan 7 Telephone: +46-8-699 63 70 | e-mail: [email protected] | www.skyttesport.se And for Olympic shooting five Pistol disciplines, two for men and two women and one gender- neutral event. 1) 10m Air Pistol Men 2) 10m Air Pistol Women 3) 50m Pistol Men 4) 25m Sport Pistol Women 5) 25m Standard Pistol All-gender Shotgun disciplines In Shotgun disciplines, we see it as natural that both trap and skeet continue as event for both women and men. We propose that ISSF change the form of Double Trap to a Double Trap Mixed event with one man and one woman in a team. The quota place should be awarded the team, not the individuals. This gives possibility for up to 18 nations to win quota places. In addition to this, it should be more gender balance in the Shotgun on quota places regarding Trap and Skeet disciplines. If the ISSF still sees it necessary to remove the Double Trap and replace it with another form of competition to keep the number of medal events up, we suggest that ISSF replace the double trap with Mixed Team Target Sprint in Air Rifle. This is an event that is very crowd- pleasing, and the cost of building a temporary facility on for example a shotgun range should be moderate. If ISSF want to go even further, you can imagine that the facility does not even need to be placed among the other shooting disciplines. It could be located on other sports arenas, like athletics. This could be a good way to show the shooting sport as a more spectator-like event. Jimmy Persson Patrik Johansson President Secretary General Swedish Shooting Sport Federation Swedish Shooting Sport Federation [email protected] [email protected] SWEDISH SHOOTING SPORT FEDERATION Address: Box 11061, 100 61 Stockholm, SWEDEN | Office: Skansbrogatan 7 Telephone: +46-8-699 63 70 | e-mail: [email protected] | www.skyttesport.se .