Shooting was one of the nine sports included in the first modern Olympic Games in Athens 1896. This year will be the first time a mixed-gender team will be included in the medal events.
There are 15 gold medals to be won at this year’s Tokyo Olympics, with a range of shooting events spanning air rifle, air pistol and shotgun. The rifle and pistol competitions take place indoors, with shooters taking turns to fire pellets at a stationary target.
Where does compressed air come into all of this?
The rifles used in the events are extraordinarily precise, elaborately designed tools that fire .177 caliber wadcutter pellets at a target 10 meters away. These air rifles use pre-charged pneumatics (PCP) which have pressurised air stored in a separate reservoir – typically either a tube under the barrel, or a small bottle attached to the gun.
When the trigger is pulled, the hammer strikes the release valve, and a quick burst of compressed air is released – travelling up the chamber and propelling the pellet toward the target at 170 meters per second!
One minute, One sport. If you don’t know much about shooting, watch this video!
