ABOUT THE SPORT: An Olympic sport since 1896, shooting is comprised of 17 events spread among four disciplines - air rifle, shotgun, running target and pistol. There are 10 events for men and seven for women.
In Shotgun, competitors fire at clay targets from stations. The winner is the one who shatters the most. Rifle competitors fire from 10 or 50 meters at stationary targets of ten concentric rings while standing, kneeling or prone. Pistol is the same as rifle, but with one hand. Those in running target fire an air rifle with a telescopic sight - they are not allowed in other events - at a moving paper target from 10 meters away.
AMERICA'S BEST: Lance Bade, a 1996 bronze medalist, is posting personal bests right now and appears on track for another podium finish. He won his fifth consecutive trap national championship in July, hitting 25 straight targets in the final round. Matt Emmons, the 2002 world champion in prone rifle, was the first rifle shooter to qualify in three events (air, three-position, prone) in 40 years. Jason Parker missed a bronze medal by seven-tenths of a point in the 2000 Olympics but has qualified for air rifle. In 2003 at the World Cup, he set a final world record when he hit 599 of 600 in qualifying, 103.5 of 109 in the final for a 702.5 total. Kim Rhode could medal in the last women's double trap, which is being eliminated because of reduced competitors. A two-time medalist in her specialty event, Rhode will switch to skeet or single trap.
WORLD'S BEST: Australian Michael Diamond won golds in trap in 1996 and 2000 but had to qualify in a special shootoff after his firearms license was suspended after a September assault charge. ... Twenty-six countries won medals in 2000, but China led with eight, three golds. Yang Ling returns after winning the running target gold in Sydney.
STORIES, STORIES: The U.S. Shooting team is awash in human drama.
Collyn Loper, a 17-year-old high school student who is blind in her right eye, learned to shoot left-handed. She beat Army Ranger Staff Sgt. Joetta Dement by one target after a 25-target shootoff in the trap event at the U.S. Trials. .
Bret Erickson qualified in trap and double trap in March, then suffered a heart attack a few weeks ago. The 43-year-old, a bronze medalist in the 1990 National Championships and a world-record holder, had a pacemaker installed and has resumed training.
Elizabeth Callahan, a qualifier in sport and air pistol, is the oldest American Olympian at age 52. She has not medaled in two previous Games.
