Posted by DonC on September 13, 2000 at 23:57:35:
How does one get (invited and/or earn the right) to be a participant? What are the pre-requisites?
Posted by David Levene on September 14, 2000 at 02:28:17:
Quick answer to a big question:-
Choose an Olympic event, practice like crazy and become good enough to be selected by your National Association to represent your Country at one (or more) of the World Cup matches or Continental / World Championships.
Shoot a qualifying score at that match which will entitle you to compete in The Olympics provided that your Country has a quota place and decides that you are the person to fill it.
Hope that someone from your Country, preferably but not neccesarily you, wins a quota place at one of the previously mentioned matches.
To guarantee a quota place you need to win the match. If the person who wins is from a Country which already has two quota places in that event (the maximum number you can send to The Olympics) then the quota place will be awarded to the next down results list who hasn't got 2.
There are also several "wildcard" quota places given out in the months before The Olympics to Countries who do not already have quota places.
I hope that has explained the system. What was intended to be a quick answer turned out to be longer than expected although I have probably forgotten something.
Posted by mako on September 15, 2000 at 01:15:53:
Besides David's info ...
One of the first things to do is to join USA SHOOTING (check out their web site). USA SHOOTING is the US governing body representing the US in ISSF (check out their web site) competition. As soon as possible one should start participating in USA SHOOTING PTO (preliminary try out) matches. The USA SHOOTING web site list's those matches. Shooting in the PTO's and matches like the Nationals will give you match experience and allow you to be noticed. If you're good enough you will eventually get invited to join the US team or junior team and train and go to matches with them. To represent the US at the Olympics one had to either win or come in second (depending on how many quote spots we had) in the total aggregate of two Olympic qualifing matches held a few months ago. I believe one of the women representing the US in air pistol at the Olympics has only been seriously shooting for a couple of years. Of course most of our reps have been shooting many years. Some of them are in military marksmanship "units" and thus get to practice virtually full time. Others like Bill Demarest, representing the US in air pistol and free pistol have been seriously shooting for about five years but practice something like 2 hours a day, six days a week, and have to take off from work without pay to go to matches. USA SHOOTING pays travel expenses but I do not believe otherwise helps support our shooters. Some of our shooters live at the Olympic training facility in Colorado Springs but must still work to support themselves. It's a shame that even a master shooter like Bill Demarest, last years US air pistol champ and current world record holder (match plus finals) in free pistol has to use a borrowed air pistol. Beeman airguns lends him a FWB air pistol to shoot his matchs.
One of the best sources for learning how great international shooters have moved up is reading the interviews in the Pilkguns website.
Sponsored by Pilkington Competition Equipment