"Outsider" Olympics?

[Alexander]

Ah, but I am not that much interested in promoting 5-shot air pistol, Joakim, nice as it may be. In fact, I do not shoot it myself and I am not interested in buying a suitable gun either (though it could be a reasonable decision to buy a 5-shooter instead of a one-shooter, because you can then use the same gun in multiple disciplines, with different magazine inserts).

No. It is exactly the other way around.
5-shot air pistol would promote the sport of shooting as whole, through such exposure and such media appeal. All disciplines could and would thus benefit from it. This is how the YOG concept works (or is intended to work, though the ISSF simply refused to "get it" - eyes wide shut).

Alexander

[Richard H]

Ere I respond, one question for better understanding:

our youth are approaching $10000 out of their own pockets just to attempt to qualify for the YOG

How so? The travel fare to the qualification event cannot be that high?
And for those who had met a nationally specified minimum consideration score before, the federations would and should either pay for, or at least give a stipend to the fare?

Alexander

Alexander that may be how it is in Europe but n Canada basically everyone is self funded. Air fare to the Nationals and hotel for the week plus incidentals runs $2000-3000, then they had to travel to Colorado Springs another $2000 and now they have to go to Guatemala so another $3000. All this just to try and earn a quota spot. It sounds high but remember these are juniors so Air fare includes a parent too.

Some do pick up some funding here and there but this YOG process basically eats it all up. Remeber travel distances in North America are generaly far greater than in Europe. I've had friends from Europe come over and want to go to BC from Ontario they are surprised when they find out it is a 5 hour flight and no we can't drive there over the weekend.

[mapletune]

Hey all~ new here =)

not sure if this has been suggested, but here's an idea to make the sport more spectator friendly (from someone completely new to shooting sports.) use electronic training systems in competition.

atm we have electronic targets for spectators to view score immediately. But that's all spectators see. We can't really see the process a shooter has to go through for the shot. the use of tracing systems would take the spectator into the sport much more quickly (and allow for replays haha~)

there are a couple hurdles i can think of (listed in no order)
- additional weight
- additional costs + equipment infrastructure
- psychological impact when spectators get to see your hold
- tracking accuracy (last 2, both which can be improved through tech)
- discrepancies between tracked score and electronic target

of which the biggest problems I think would be impact on the athlete and cost increase for sponsors.
__________

again, i'm just a newbie =P there are many things I don't understand. But i'm interested in discussion!

[Richard H]

Not a totally bad idea but unfortunately at the moment the training systems are not accurate enough to score on especially from athlete to athlete. The other issue is once you start down that road why shoot anymore? They will quickly get rid of projectiles (just like they are doing in Modern Pentathlon) they won't need to build ranges and we can just all shoot on video games.

[sparky]

Events like 3-gun, IDPA, Cowboy Action and sporting clays are kind of like the shooting version of the X-Games. Unfortunately, even if you get a sponser its not like 10,000 people are going to go out and buy the spiffy AR-15 you just won the World Champion 3-gun event with. Most of the big names in these shooting sports are sponsered, but what average Joe knows their names? In Europe (and many other countries) the top shooters are known. Biathalon is actually televised. The networks bid on it like our networks bid for football seasons from what I have been told. When was the last time (save for the olympics going on now) that you saw an actual shooting competition televised in the US?? I am talking on a big network, not something that only comes on cable or satelite.

Doubt there would ever be any 3-gun type events in the olympics, too much like a SWAT drill, and well, it basically is.

I know the Bianchi Cup, the Steel Challenge, and the USPSA National Championships used to be televised on ESPN back in the early 1990's. They'd basically run the footage that Lenny Magill was filming back then. Don't know about now. There might be something on the Outdoor Life Network (OLN?) for some of them. I don't think I've ever heard of ISSF televised in the U.S.