History of development of clay shooting

Clay shooting — a kind of shooting sport. Firing at the flying targets can people of any gender and age are engaged.

Competitions are held on the open areas (stands). Fire shot charges from smooth-bore guns on the special targets representing plateaus which are thrown out air the special throwing equipment. At hit the target breaks and to the athlete the successful shot — the struck target is set off.

From history of clay shooting in the Middle Ages in Europe, first of all in England, competitions of hunters in accuracy were held, it was fired from hunting guns on the birds started in air. These competitions were also the cornerstone of emergence of a type of shooting sport which gained development in the 19th century. At first at official competitions including at the Olympic Games, it was fired on pigeons. Replacement of live birds by special plateaus became an important milestone for development of clay shooting. The Olympic discipline this type became in 1900, at the games of the II Olympic Games which were taking place in Paris. Frenchman Roger de Barbarin became the first Olympic champion who became history of clay shooting, in a team competition French national team took priority. In total 103 persons participated in competitions in 1900. Except the Olympic Games of 1904 and 1936, clay shooting was steadily included into the program of these largest competitions of the present. Since 1935 pass also the World Cups. In 1996 separate competitions among men and women began to be held. Combines shooters and national federations of ISSF (The international federation of sports firing) under the auspices of which there take place clay shooting competitions.

History of development of clay shooting in Russia. Clay shooting in Moscow

Hunting societies which existed in Russia in the 19th century held competitions on firing among hunters. It was fired from hunting guns on pigeons that were let out from cages (special boxes). On it one of names of our sport is sedimentary firing. In 1883 in St. Petersburg rules of competitions in sedimentary firing were officially developed. The distance for firing was defined from 22 to 28 meters. In 4 years on the Krestovsky island equipped the special platform (stand). Prior to World War I practically in all provinces there were similar stands. In Moscow three shooting stands were open. For the beginning shooters at the beginning of the 20th century the distance for firing in 20-22 m was established, and athletes-hunters of high qualification shot at a bird from 26-32 m. Usually from participants of competitions contributions (they could reach 25 rubles), which made prize fund undertook. Hunting society which organized competitions deducted to itself 10 percent from the collected amount. Shooters paid pigeons and purchased cartridges at own expense. Together with men also women competed. So, in 1913 Imperial society of hunting in St. Petersburg played a prize which was won by M. Vadkovskaya. Usually competitions were held with participation of shooters from one city. Draws of a rank of champions of Russia in sedimentary firing were not held. Though in the certain cities (Moscow, Odessa, etc.) societies of hunting invited for participation in the competitions and shooters, famous in Russia. In 1912 in Russia it was decided to participate to shooters in the V Olympic Games which played in Stockholm. For determination of the strongest athletes qualifying tournaments were organized. The debut of the Russian shooters was successful – X. Blau from Riga showed the third result at the trench stand. Quantity of successfully struck targets – 91 plateaus from 100 (fired already on the flying targets). In 1913 A. Shorygin from Moscow won at the international clay shooting competitions Monte Carlo.

In the Soviet Union clay shooting began to develop since the end of the 1920th years. In 1934 the first All-Union Championship was held. On the international scene shooters debuted in the fifties. In 1955 champions of Europe became Yury Nikandrov at the trench stand and Nikolay Durnev at the round stand. The first the rank of the world champion was won by Arius Kaplun (1958, the round stand). The first Olympic gold was brought to the country by Evgeny Petrov at the round stand (Mexico City, 1968). The most eminent athletes of our country are Yury Tsuranov who won 18 gold medals in the World Cups and Europe (the round stand) and Larisa Tsuranova on whose account 24 gold of world and European tournaments.

Clay shooting today. The program of the Olympic Games includes three shooting disciplines now: competitions at the round stand, the trench stand and a double ladder.

The round stand (monastery) provides firing during which the participant moves in different shooting places (numbers). Upon transitions to different shooting positions, the angle of defeat of a target changes and it is fired on targets which fly from special boxes towards each other. Machines for emission of plateaus are approximately in 40 meters from each other. Targets at different height take off. And after team of the athlete the departure of a target occurs during ot0 do3kh seconds that varies automatically by means of the built-in timer for complication of the program.

Trench stand (ladder) kind of clay shooting and one of the most difficult Olympic disciplines. Provides firing of the athlete at targets which are thrown out of a special trench. Shooting numbers at the same time are located in a straight line and shooters stand nearby. Targets take off on previously not known and it is difficult for predictable trajectories. Here, special reaction and concentration is necessary.