Olympic shooting sports?

J

johnwilliamson062

Moderator
I know there are a few, but they are the most neutered shooting sports possible, at least many of them. Why don't we have IDPA, 3 gun, or such in the Olympics? Seems like there might be a large audience to see realistic martial competition between the different states.

THis was brought up on OFCCs Facebook page.
 
Because the other socialist, communist, fascist and non-free countries could not train. By limiting it to 22 lr and air pistol, people with no freedom can be granted the permission by the all knowing state to "use" a pistol of the governments discression.
 
For the most part I'd blame it on the female television producers looking for higher ratings among the women in the TV audience. Prime time slots are dominated with pre-pubecenct little girls doing gymnastics and figure skating. What grandma and mother isn't going to watch that imagining their little one as an Olympian. Add to it the swimming, bikini volleyball to get ratings.

What was once a mans sport in pre-modern Olympics has succumbed to marketing madness and political correctness in the TV ratings. It was Olympian Kathy Rigby that brought the feminine hygiene products to TV. Women are not a dominate or even an equal force in the IDPA world. From a Olympic TV producers standpoint, there's no female market wanting to watch IDPA events.
 
My guess? No serious effort has been made to have them added. It's not easy to add an Olympic sport. It's not like someone just goes, "Hey, that's neat! Let's put that in the Olympics!"
 
Because the other socialist, communist, fascist and non-free countries could not train.
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I thought about this before posting, and really it is the other "democratic" "capitalist" countries who would run into problems. The socialist countries all give their athletes related government jobs. Russia, where the captain of the team is actually the Captain of the team and is tasked with shooting any defectors.
Places like the Uk would have more trouble trying to figure out how to get special permission for athletes to have the weapons.

My guess? No serious effort has been made to have them added. It's not easy to add an Olympic sport. It's not like someone just goes, "Hey, that's neat! Let's put that in the Olympics!"
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I think this is closer to the truth. But why hasn't there been one? Think what three gun in the Olympics might do for the shooting sports. It seems to me like this could be a very important move that has simply been overlooked.

If curling and synchronized swimming can be legitimized by inclusion in the Olympics...
 
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Women are not a dominate or even an equal force in the IDPA world. From a Olympic TV producers standpoint, there's no female market wanting to watch IDPA events.
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Perhaps not dominant, but not equal? I disagree, in many ways women have the advantage.
 
From an advertisers standpoint the 18-36 male is a key marget as men have higher brand loyalty, and this would be a good way to reach them. I don't think that is the issue so much.
 
It is true that the Olympic shooting disciplines look wimpy. The fact is that they are geared more to the talent of the shooter then the firearm. They are more an art form then an athletic endeavor. There are strict restrictions on how their clothing fits,the position of buttons,how much of their foot their shoes cover and more. The international targets are twice as difficult requiring more mental control.
Yes the events are boring to watch but the Olympic shooter is a different animal. Their game is in their head not their hands.
 
JohnWilliamson062 said:
I think this is closer to the truth. But why hasn't there been one? Think what three gun in the Olympics might do for the shooting sports. It seems to me like this could be a very important move that has simply been overlooked.

If curling and synchronized swimming can be legitimized by inclusion in the Olympics...
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The American shooting sports you mention are practically nonexistant in terms of popularity. Even in America they're tiny. Worldwide they fade beyond obscurity.

Curling is a relatively ancient game. Even synchronized swimming is 100 years old. I'd bet both have far more fans than IDPA. Frankly, I'd rather watch curling than IDPA, and I'm in the gun culture.

Besides, are the Olympics even open to more events? I thought they stopped adding events a few years back.
 
My guess? No serious effort has been made to have them added. It's not easy to add an Olympic sport. It's not like someone just goes, "Hey, that's neat! Let's put that in the Olympics!"
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Please explain the presence of Luge to me, it's professional sledding for cryin' out loud!:p

It would be nice to see some actual shooting sports, rather than watching a guy jump out of a pool to shoot a BB gun at a stationary target (I have no idea if it's actually done in that order:))
 
Brian, is this why we had Olympic BOWLING? :D I was told that "sport" was there and then removed for some odd reason.
For IDPA or other sports to be Olympic "watchable", you need to jazz it up, add exploding targets, etc. Cowboy action shooting would be easier to add. Actually, it might be even easier to add the cowboy shooting on horseback to the equestrian events.
 
The American shooting sports you mention are practically nonexistant in terms of popularity. Even in America they're tiny. Worldwide they fade beyond obscurity.
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I think this answer pretty well sums it up. However, a closely related reason is that the IOC tries to focus on games that are likely to attract competitors from a variety of countries, not just 3-4. For example...
Baseball and Softball are no longer Olympic events......
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...most likely because they're legitimately popular only in the USA, Japan, and a handful of Latin American countries. Same goes for cricket, which is wildly popular in the UK and other former British colonies but is largely ignored elsewhere, and consequently was only contested once at the Olympics- at the 1900 Paris Games.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Olympic_venues_in_discontinued_events

I didn't realize that tug of war was once an Olympic sport! :)
Besides, are the Olympics even open to more events? I thought they stopped adding events a few years back.
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I don't recall hearing this. I don't think the IOC ever really stops trying to add events, but they come in fits and starts. AFAIK they are always initially added as an unofficial exhibition sport to judge competitor interest, and often dropped when this is deemed inadequate.
 
I guess I see three gun as an excellent measure of martial skill, at least compared to other possibilities. Isn't that what the Olympics were about? Even the modern pentathlon is based on the military skills required at the turn of the last century.
 
It wasn't always this way..if you look in some of the old American Rifleman magazines from the 1940's thru the late 50's & early 60's..there are several whole pages devoted to small bore target shooting, as well as revolver shooting.
 
I am not sure if the above explanation for sport selection is accurate. I think it has more to do with how many CAN field a team than in how many countries the sport is popular. Many of the events pretty much only exist in the Olympics and amateur competition. There aren't professional leagues for most of these sports and many of the contenders have pretty much no audience except the few days they are at the Olympics.

Pretty much every country in the world can field a couple gents with a pistol, shotgun, and assault rifle. The poor countries could have them double as their athlete security :)
 
Proud of Kim Rhode, Vincent Hancock, (shotgun) and I wish the best for Amanda Furrer - 3 position rifle (from Spokane, my 'hood).
 
I would prefer to watch a dancing horse. Oh, never mind. :p

I think the analysis of sports popularity is right on. Not enough popularity of the 'tactical' gun sports.

The funding base isn't there. I'm friends with a championship level pistol shooter. I don't think he could afford what it takes to go to the Olympics. Who would pay?

I have watched curling. Lived near Canada for a bit.

Also, there might be reaction against the humanoid targets. I recall the UK shooters denouncing our IDPA targets before the sport was banned there.
 
The Olympic version of three gun - aka the bialthalon - has been dumbed down shooting wise - in both the winter and summer games, the rifles were 308, then 22 and now, IIRC, air rifle - while it is still demanding, it is not as exciting as watching 12 year old girls do backflips, and after recent events, will be even harder to sell to any group as an OK thing to do

Trying running cross country with your rifle for a mile or so, stop, catch your breath and put each shot in a ten ring, then repeat that over and over
 
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