HOW DOES IT WORK?
Different types of guns are shot at different types of targets. The pistol is shot from a standing position at an immobile electric鈥攖hey look like paper, but no!鈥攖arget. The rifle is shot from a number of standing-through-face-down positions at the not-paper targets. Then there鈥檚 also the shotgun, which is shot at a number of different clay targets that are launched into the air. Each weapon has a number of different competitions鈥攁ll of which are individual. Shooting will award medals every day from July 28 through August 6.
HISTORY
Shooting has been in the Olympics nearly forever because humans love to fire projectiles at inanimate objects for whatever reason. It鈥檚 in Genesis鈥攊f you look close enough. The sport鈥檚 changed and expanded over the years because shooting a pistol at a cardboard circle apparently isn鈥檛 enough. The United States has 103 total medals鈥攏ext best is Sweden, with 55. America鈥檚 50 golds are also 31 more than second-place China. Apple pie and controlled firearm usage, guys.
WHO IS THE BEST?
U! S! A? Eh, kind of. There鈥檚 no real dominant country in world shooting since there are so many different, super-specific competitions now. China has won the most medals in firing-guns-at-stuff over the past few Olympics, if you need to pick one favorite. The Chinese should take home the most medals and most golds, while Serbia and Russia should also challenge for multiple golds. Not since 1992 has one person won multiple shooting golds at the Olympics, but 24-year-old Italian Niccolo Campriani is the top-ranked shooter in two events. He鈥檚 also a graduate of West Virginia University, so call him an 鈥渉onorary American鈥 if you must.聽
DOES THE U.S. HAVE ANY CHANCE?
At worst, the Americans should take home at least one gold and a couple other less-precious medals. Joshua Richmind and Kim Rhode are the two names to look out for as potential gold medalists. But the person who really matters here is Matthew Emmons. He won a gold in Athens with a female teammate鈥檚 gun, but once in Athens and once in Beijing, he was leading events heading into his final shot and both times misfired so badly that he dropped from first to off-the-podium … on his last shot. And then in 2010 he developed thyroid cancer. The 31-year-old will be competing in two events in London, so you should probably root for him.
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鈥,鈥 by Reeves Wiedeman