ISSF World Shooting Championships

The ISSF World Shooting Championships are governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation. World Shooting Championships began in 1897, after the successful 1896 Summer Olympics, and although the ISSF was not founded until 1907, these early competitions are still seen by the organization as the beginning of a continuous row of championships. By this logic, the 2006 competition in Zagreb was called the 49th ISSF World Shooting Championships. These championships, including all ISSF shooting events, are held every four years since 1954. For the shotgun events only, there is an additional World Championship competition in odd-numbered years. These extra competitions are not numbered. In running target, there will be World Championships in Olympic years.

ISSF World Shooting Championships

The World Championships were held each year from 1897 to 1931, with the exception of the years 1915–1920 (interruption by World War I) and 1926. From 1933 to 1949, they were held biennially, although the 1941–1945 competitions were canceled (again, because of world war). The current schedule, with large World Championships only every four years, was adapted in 1954.

Originally, 300 metre rifle (in various positions) was the only discipline on the programme, despite many other events having been included in the Olympics. In 1900, 50 metre pistol was added. This programme was in use until 1929, the only change being the addition of 300 metre army rifle, with mandatory use of the host nation's army weapon, in 1911. The 1929 championships in Stockholm saw the addition of most of the remaining events from the Olympic programme: 100 metre running deer, 50 metre rifle and trap. 25 metre rapid fire pistol had to wait until 1933.

Immediately after World War II, 300 metre standard rifle (with more strict rules than 300 metre rifle but less than 300 metre army rifle) was added along with 25 metre center-fire pistol and skeet. There was also briefly a combined 50 and 100 m rifle competition. Specific women's events began to be slowly added from 1958, although women had previously, and at times successfully, been allowed to compete alongside the men. The last remaining army rifle event and 100 metre running deer were dropped in 1966, the latter in favour of 50 metre running target. 50 metre standard rifle was also added for both men and women, but was soon dropped for the men due to the similarity to 50 metre rifle. The 1970 World Championships in Phoenix added airgun events, 25 metre standard pistol and the mixed running target competition. 10 metre running target was added in 1981.

For the 1994 competitions in Milan, a number of profound changes were made. First, junior competitions were added (like the senior championships, these are only held every four years); they had previously been tested in the special shotgun and airgun championships. Second, there were no longer medals awarded in single positions in the 300 metre and 50 metre rifle matches (except for the prone position, which has its own match). Third, double trap had been introduced five years earlier in Montecatini Terme and now made its way into the large championships. With only minor additions, the 1994 programme is still in use.

Before World War I

Number	Year	Venue	Individual events			Team events			Total	Medal count winner
			Rifle	Pistol	Total	Rifle	Pistol	Total
1	1897	Lyon	4		4	1		1	5	Switzerland
2	1898	Turin	4		4	1		1	5	France
3	1899	Loosduinen	4		4	1		1	5	Switzerland
4	1900	Paris	4	1	5	1	1	2	7	Switzerland
5	1901	Lucerne	4	1	5	1	1	2	7	Switzerland
6	1902	Rome	4	1	5	1	1	2	7	Switzerland
7	1903	Buenos Aires	4	1	5	1	1	2	7	Switzerland
8	1904	Lyon (2)	4	1	5	1	1	2	7	Switzerland
9	1905	Brussels	4	1	5	1	1	2	7	Belgium
10	1906	Milan	4	1	5	1	1	2	7	France
11	1907	Zürich	4	1	5	1	1	2	7	Switzerland
12	1908	Vienna	4	1	5	1	1	2	7	Italy
13	1909	Hamburg	4	1	5	1	1	2	7	Switzerland
14	1910	Loosduinen (2)	4	1	5	1	1	2	7	Switzerland
15	1911	Rome (2)	8	1	9	1	1	2	11	Switzerland
16	1912	Bayonne-Biarritz	8	1	9	1	1	2	11	Switzerland
17	1913	Camp Perry	8	1	9	1	1	2	11	Switzerland
18	1914	Viborg	8	1	9	1	1	2	11	France

Interwar period

Number	Year	Venue	Individual events					Team events					Total	Medal count winner
			Rifle	Pistol	SG	RT	Total	Rifle	Pistol	SG	RT	Total
19	1921	Lyon (3)	8	1			9	1	1			2	11	United States
20	1922	Milan (2)	8	1			9	1	1			2	11	Switzerland
21	1923	Camp Perry (2)	8	1			9	1	1			2	11	United States
22	1924	Reims	8	1			9	1	1			2	11	United States
23	1925	St. Gallen	8	1			9	1	1			2	11	Switzerland
24	1927	Rome (3)	8	1			9	1	1			2	11	Switzerland
25	1928	Loosduinen (3)	8	1			9	1	1			2	11	Switzerland
26	1929	Stockholm	9	1	1	2	13	3	1	1	2	7	20	Switzerland
27	1930	Antwerp	11	1			13	4	1			5	18	United States
		Rome (4)			1
28	1931	Lwów	12	1	1	2	16	4	1	1	2	8	24	Switzerland
29	1933	Granada	11	2			14	4	1			6	20	Sweden
		Vienna (2)			1					1
30	1935	Rome (5)	11	2			14	5	1			7	21	Finland
		Brussels (2)			1					1
31	1937	Helsinki	12	2	1	2	17	11	2	1		14	31	Finland
32	1939	Lucerne (2)	13	2			16	5	2			8	24	Estonia
		Berlin			1					1

After World War II

Number	Year	Venue	Men's events					Women's events					Junior events					Team events					Total	Medal count winner
			Ri	Pi	SG	RT	Σ	Ri	Pi	SG	RT	Σ	Ri	Pi	SG	RT	Σ	Ri	Pi	SG	RT	Σ
33	1947	Stockholm (2)	10	3	2	2	17											7	3	1		11	28	Sweden
34	1949	Buenos Aires (2)	11	3	1	3	18											5	3	1	1	10	28	Finland
35	1952	Oslo	10	3	2	2	17											7	3	1	2	13	30	United States
36	1954	Caracas	10	3	2	2	17											7	3	1	2	13	30	Soviet Union
37	1958	Moscow	11	3	2	2	18	2				2	1				1	10	3	2	2	17	38	Soviet Union
38	1962	Cairo	10	3	2	2	17	2	2	2		6						6	3	2	2	13	36	Soviet Union
39	1966	Wiesbaden	10	3	2	1	16	2	1	2		5						8	3	2	1	14	35	United States
40	1970	Phoenix	12	5	2	2	21	3	3	2		8						14	8	2	2	26	55	Soviet Union
41	1974	Bern-Thun	11	5	2	2	20	3	2	2		7						14	6	2	2	24	51	Soviet Union
42	1978	Seoul	10	5	2	2	19	3	2	2		7						13	7	4	2	26	52	United States
43	1982	Caracas (2)	10	5	2	3	20	3	2	2		7						13	7	4	3	27	54	Soviet Union
44	1986	Suhl	5	5	2	3	21	3	2	2		7						8	7	4	3	28	56	Soviet Union
		Skövde	6															6
45	1990	Moscow (2)	10	5	3	3	21	3	2	3		8						13	7	6	3	29	58	Soviet Union
46	1994	Milan-Tolmezzo-Fagnano (2)	6	5	3	4	18	3	2	3	1	9	6	7	3	5	21	15	14	6	8	43	91	United States
47	1998	Barcelona-Zaragoza	6	5	3	2	16	3	2	3	1	9	6	7	3	3	19	15	14	6	6	41	85	China

21st century

Number	Year	Venue	Men's events					Women's events					Junior events					Team events					Total	Medal count winner
			Ri	Pi	SG	RT	Σ	Ri	Pi	SG	RT	Σ	Ri	Pi	SG	RT	Σ	Ri	Pi	SG	RT	Σ
48	2002	Lahti	6	5	3	4	18	5	2	3	2	12	6	7	6	6	25	17	14	10	12	53	108	Russia
49	2006	Zagreb	6	5	3	4	18	5	2	3	2	12	6	7	5	6	24	17	14	8	12	51	105	China
50	2010	Munich	6	5	3	4	18	5	2	3	2	12	6	7	5	6	24	17	14	10	12	53	107	China
51	2014	Granada
52	2018	Changwon
53	2022	London

Special shotgun and running target championships

Special shotgun championships were first held in 1934, and since 1959 they are held biennially so that in these events, there are either Olympic Games or World Championships each year. The original event was trap; skeet was added in 1950 and double trap in 1989.

It was in this kind of championship that the first woman won a World Championship medal in shooting: Carola Mandel (USA) in 1950. Women got their own competitions in 1967.

Running target events have been sporadically included; the last time was 1983. As a compensation for the 2005 loss of Olympic status for 10 metre running target however, it has been decided to hold provisional World Championships in 10 metre running target and 50 metre running target in Olympic years, starting in 2008.

20th century

Year	Venue	Men's events			Women's events			Junior events			Team events			Total	Medal count winner
		SG	RT	Σ	SG	RT	Σ	SG	RT	Σ	SG	RT	Σ
1934	Budapest	1		1							1		1	2	Hungary
1936	Berlin	1		1							1		1	2	Hungary
1938	Luhačovice	1		1							1		1	2	Hungary
1950	Madrid	2		2										2	Italy
1959	Cairo	2		2							1		1	3	Italy and Soviet Union
1961	Oslo	2	2	4								2	2	6	United States
1965	Santiago de Chile	2		2										2	Chile
1967	Bologna	2	1	3	2		2				2	1	3	8	Soviet Union
1969	San Sebastián	2		2	2		2				2		2	6	Italy
1969	Sandviken		1	1								1	1	2	Soviet Union
1971	Bologna (2)	2		2	2		2				2		2	6	Soviet Union
1973	Melbourne	2	2	4							2	2	4	8	Soviet Union
1975	Munich	2	1	3	2		2				4	1	5	10	Soviet Union
1977	Antibes	2		2	2		2				4		4	8	Italy
1979	Linz		2	2								2	2	4	Soviet Union
1979	Montecatini Terme	2		2	2		2				4		4	8	Soviet Union
1981	Mala (Tucumán and Buenos Aires)		2	2								2	2	4	Soviet Union
1981	Tucumán	2		2	2		2				4		4	8	Soviet Union
1983	Edmonton	2	3	5	2		2				4	3	7	14	Soviet Union
1985	Montecatini Terme (2)	2		2	2		2				4		4	8	China
1987	Valencia	2		2	2		2				2		2	6	China
1989	Montecatini Terme (3)	3		3	3		3	3		3	7		7	16	Italy
1991	Perth	3		3	3		3	3		3	9		9	18	United States
1993	Barcelona	3		3	2		2	3		3	8		8	16	Italy
1995	Nicosia	3		3	3		3	3		3	9		9	18	Italy
1997	Lima	3		3	3		3	3		3	8		8	17	Italy
1999	Tampere	3		3	3		3	5		5	9		9	20	Italy

21st century

Year	Venue	Men's events			Women's events			Junior events			Team events			Total	Medal count winner
		SG	RT	Σ	SG	RT	Σ	SG	RT	Σ	SG	RT	Σ
2001	Cairo (2)	3		3	3		3	6		6	9		9	21	United States
2003	Nicosia (2)	3		3	3		3	6		6	11		11	23	United States
2005	Lonato	3		3	3		3	5		5	8		8	19	Italy
2007	Nicosia (3)	3		3	2		2	5		5	9		9	19	Italy
2008	Plzeň		4	4		2	2		6	6		10	10	22	Russia
2009	Maribor	3		3	2		2	5		5	10		10	20	Italy
2009	Heinola													20	Russia
2011	Belgrade	3		3	2		2	5		5	10		10	20
2013	Lima (2)	3		3	2		2	5		5	10		10	20	Italy
2015	Lonato (2)	3		3	2		2	5		5	10		10	20	Italy
2017	Moscow	3		3	2		2	5		5	10		10	20

Special airgun championships

From 1979 to 1991, there were seven special airgun championships, including 10 metre air rifle, 10 metre air pistol and sometimes also 10 metre running target. This kind of championship has been discontinued.

Year	Venue	Men's events				Women's events				Junior events				Team events				Total	Medal count winner
		Ri	Pi	RT	Σ	Ri	Pi	RT	Σ	Ri	Pi	RT	Σ	Ri	Pi	RT	Σ
1979	Seoul	1	1		2	1	1		2					2	2		4	8	United States
1981	Santo Domingo	1	1	1	3	1	1		2					2	2	1	5	10	Soviet Union
1983	Innsbruck	1	1		2	1	1		2					2	2		4	8	Sweden
1985	Mexico City	1	1		2	1	1		2					2	2		4	8	Soviet Union
1987	Budapest	1	1	1	3	1	1		2					2	2	1	5	10	Soviet Union
1989	Sarajevo	1	1	1	3	1	1		2	2	2	1	5	4	4	2	10	20	Soviet Union
1991	Stavanger	1	1	1	3	1	1		2	2	2	1	5	4	4	2	10	20	Soviet Union

Current individual events

Main article: ISSF shooting events

• 300 metre rifle three positions
• 300 metre rifle prone
• 300 metre standard rifle
• 50 metre rifle three positions
• 50 metre rifle prone
• 10 metre air rifle
• 50 metre pistol
• 25 metre pistol
• 25 metre standard pistol
• 25 metre rapid fire pistol
• 25 metre center-fire pistol
• 10 metre air pistol
• 50 metre running target
• 50 metre running target mixed
• 10 metre running target
• 10 metre running target mixed
• Trap
• Double trap
• Skeet

Total medals by country (senior current events only)

This table was calculated for the senior current events only. Last updated after 2009 World Running Target Championships.

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
—	USSR	207	128	87	422
1	United States	130	142	119	391
2	Italy	89	71	76	236
3	Switzerland	85	67	53	205
4	China	74	68	52	194
5	East Germany West Germany Germany	13 27 28 68	19 27 28 74	24 32 36 92	56 86 92 234
6	Russia	49	40	41	130
7	Sweden	40	52	62	154
8	Finland	37	45	51	133
9	France	33	55	61	149
10	Hungary	31	35	45	111
—	Czechoslovakia	14	16	17	47
11	Norway	17	19	28	64
12	Belgium	17	12	17	46
13	Czech Republic	15	23	9	47
14	Poland	15	18	14	47
15	Ukraine	13	17	22	52
16	Bulgaria	13	11	11	35
17	Australia	12	20	10	42
18	Canada	9	10	4	23
19	South Korea	9	9	20	38
20	Denmark	9	6	19	34
21	Argentina	9	4	6	19
22	Great Britain	8	14	21	43
23	Spain	8	14	17	39
—	Yugoslavia	7	12	4	23
24	India	6	2	4	12
25	Kuwait	6	1	4	11
26	Estonia	5	2	3	10
27	Belarus	4	7	8	19
28	Kazakhstan	4	1	4	9
29	Romania	3	11	10	24
30	Austria	3	7	14	24
31	Mexico	3	2	3	8
32	Cyprus	3	2	0	5
33	Slovakia	2	7	12	21
34	Azerbaijan	2	3	0	5
35	Venezuela	2	2	2	6
36	Colombia	2	1	4	7
37	Chile	2	1	0	3
38	Portugal	1	6	3	10
39	Egypt	1	2	5	8
40	Chinese Taipei	1	1	2	4
41	Slovenia	1	1	2	4
42	Ireland	1	1	1	3
43	Israel	1	1	0	2
43	South Africa	1	1	0	2
43	United Arab Emirates	1	1	0	2
46	Mongolia	1	0	2	3
47	Armenia	1	0	0	1
47	Latvia	1	0	0	1
49	Japan	0	5	3	8
50	Netherlands	0	4	6	10
51	Lithuania	0	4	1	5
52	Cuba	0	3	5	8
53	Greece	0	2	1	3
53	Thailand	0	2	1	3
55	Brazil	0	1	2	3
55	North Korea	0	1	2	3
57	Georgia	0	1	1	2
57	Turkey	0	1	1	2
59	Georgia	0	1	0	1
59	Lebanon	0	1	0	1
59	Serbia and Montenegro	0	1	0	1
62	San Marino	0	0	3	3
63	Albania	0	0	1	1
63	Croatia	0	0	1	1
63	Peru	0	0	1	1
63	Puerto Rico	0	0	1	1
63	Uruguay	0	0	1	1
Total		1074	1073	1070	3217

Discontinued events

Main article: Discontinued ISSF shooting events

Medals

Nations

This table was calculated for the senior events only, including both current and discontinued events. Last updated after 2012 World Running Target Championships.

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
—	USSR	258	162	106	526
1	United States	192	182	173	547
2	Switzerland	174	146	126	446
3	Italy	107	89	94	290
4	China	92	87	58	237
5	Sweden	74	102	112	288
6	Finland	70	91	93	254
7	Russia	66	52	49	167
8	France	58	89	100	247
9	Norway	41	57	58	156
10	Hungary	37	40	48	125
11	Germany	35	38	38	111
—	West Germany	32	30	41	103
12	Belgium	23	17	29	69
13	Poland	21	23	19	63
14	Great Britain	20	14	31	65
15	Estonia	20	12	14	46
16	Czech Republic	18	25	14	57
—	Czechoslovakia	16	23	25	64
17	Argentina	16	7	10	33
18	Denmark	15	22	28	65
19	Spain	15	17	21	53
—	East Germany	14	22	31	67
20	Australia	14	21	9	44
21	Ukraine	13	20	31	64
22	Bulgaria	13	12	11	36
23	South Korea	12	14	26	52
24	Canada	11	13	5	29
—	Yugoslavia	6	11	5
25	India	6	2	8	16
26	Kuwait	6	1	6	13
27	Austria	5	11	15	31
28	Belarus	5	7	9	21
29	Netherlands	4	12	14	30
30	Romania	4	11	11	26
31	Cyprus	4	2	1	7
32	Kazakhstan	4	1	6	11
33	Slovakia	3	10	17	30
34	Mexico	3	2	3	8
34	North Korea	3	2	3	8
37	Japan	2	5	3	10
38	Azerbaijan	2	3	0	5
39	Venezuela	2	2	2	6
40	South Africa	2	2	1	5
41	Colombia	2	1	4	7
42	Chile	2	1	0	3
43	Portugal	1	6	3	10
44	Serbia	1	4	2	7
45	Egypt	1	2	4	7
46	Brazil	1	2	3	6
47	Slovenia	1	2	3	6
—	Serbia and Montenegro	1	2	0	3
48	Chinese Taipei	1	1	2	4
49	Ireland	1	1	1	3
49	United Arab Emirates	1	1	1	3
51	Israel	1	1	0	2
51	Latvia	1	1	0	2
53	Mongolia	1	0	2	3
54	Armenia	1	0	0	1
55	Lithuania	0	4	1	5
56	Cuba	0	3	5	8
57	Greece	0	2	1	3
57	Thailand	0	2	1	3
57	Georgia	0	2	1	3
60	Turkey	0	1	1	2
61	Lebanon	0	1	0	1
61	Romania	0	1	0	1
63	San Marino	0	0	5	5
—	United Arab Republic	0	0	1	1
64	Albania	0	0	1	1
64	Croatia	0	0	1	1
64	Guatemala	0	0	1	1
64	Peru	0	0	1	1
64	Puerto Rico	0	0	1	1
64	Uruguay	0	0	1	1
Total		1555	1552	1551	4658

Individual

In this list the multiple medalists (individual and team) of all-time.

!#	Name	Nation	Years				Total	Discipline
1	Konrad Staeheli	Switzerland	1898-1914	41	17	11	69	Pistol/Rifle
2	Karl Zimmermann	Switzerland	1921-1947	30	17	20	67	Rifle
3	Lones Wigger	United States	1966-1986	22	22	7	51	Rifle
4	Kullervo Leskinen	Finland	1930-1952	15	19	11	45	Rifle
5	Josias Hartmann	Switzerland	1921-1939	15	12	11	38	Rifle
6	Wilhelm Schnyder	Switzerland	1922-1933	14	2	3	19	Pistol/Rifle
7	John Robert Foster	United States	1961-1974	13	15	2	30	Rifle/Running Deer
8	Paul Van Asbroeck	Belgium	1900-1930	13	9	13	35	Pistol/Rifle
9	Emil Kellenberger	Switzerland	1899-1922	13	7	0	20	Rifle
10	Gennadi Lushikov	Soviet Union	1974-1990	13	6	2	21	Rifle
11	Lubos Racansky	Czech Republic	1986-2008	13	5	1	19	Running Target
12	Louis Richardet	Switzerland	1897-1909	13	4	5	22	Pistol/Rifle
13	Moysey Itkis	Soviet Union	1954-1962	13	1	5	19	Rifle
14	Walter Lienhard	Switzerland	1922-1939	12	11	3	26	Rifle
15	Otto Horber	Switzerland	1935-1952	12	9	12	33	Rifle

See also

• Shooting at the Summer Olympics

External links

• WCH medallists, current events (ISSF website)