Target shooting has evolved as a sport since its official introduction in 1896. The event was one of the nine sports featured in Athens at the first of the modern age Olympic games.http://www.olympic.ca/en/sports/Shooting/ Events in shooting are distinguished by four different factors: the distance to the target, the type of firearm, the type of target and whether it is moving or stationary.http://www.olympic.ca/en/sports/Shooting/ A popular sport in North America, target shooting can be done all year round, indoors in winter and outdoors in summer.

There are now fifteen different target shooting events in the Olympics, which are subdivided into three different groups according to the type of firearm.http://www.olympic.org/en/content/Sports/All-Sports/Shooting/Shooting-Equipment-and-history/?Tab=1 In rifle and pistol competitions, the events take place on a shooting range. The third, a shotgun, is used by competitors to shoot moving clay targets. The clay targets are launched into the air or rolled along the ground in a variety of angles and distances. The rules of target shooting are governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). http://www.olympic.org/en/content/Sports/All-Sports/Shooting/Shooting-Equipment-and-history/?Tab=1

Target shooting has a long history in North America and is one of the main pursuits of various firearm clubs and associations in United States and Canada. Shooting is performed with three different types of firearms; the pistol, rifle and shotgun. http://www.olympic.org/en/content/Sports/All-Sports/Shooting/Shooting-Equipment-and-history/?Tab=1 Various targets correspond with certain events, such as clay pigeons for trapshooting. http://www.olympic.org/en/content/Sports/All-Sports/Shooting/Shooting-Equipment-and-history/?Tab=0 The body position is also determined by the event, whether it is standing or in the prone position.

In the United States, target shooting tournaments and National Championships are often sponsored by the NRA. The National Rifle Association's Competitive Shooting Division organizes a wide variety of events for target shooters. Available to everyone's experience level, over ten thousand shooting tournaments are approved by the NRA every year. http://www.nrahq.org/compete/index.asp

In Canada, target shooting is often organized by the Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA), which was founded in 2000 by the union of the Ontario Handgun Association (OHA) and the Ontario Smallbore Federation (OSF). http://www.cdnshootingsports.org/history.html

• 10m Air Pistol - Women/Men
• 10m Air Rifle - Women/Men
• 25m Pistol - Women
• 25m Rapid Fire Pistol - Men
• 50m Pistol - Men
• 50m Rifle 3 Positions - Women
• 50m Rifle 3 Positions - Men
• 50m Rifle Prone - Men
• Double Trap - Men
• Skeet - Men
• Skeet - Women
• Trap - Men
• Trap - Women http://www.olympic.org/en/content/Sports/All-Sports/Shooting/

Olympic Games

• Frequency: Every 4 years
• Next: London 2012
• Last: Beijing 2008
• Shooting Events: 15
• Shooters at last Games: 390 shooters coming from 103 countries http://www.issf-sports.org/theissf/championships/olympic_games.ashx

Youth Olympic Games

• Frequency: Every 4 years, 2 years after regular Olympics
• Next: Singapore 2010 (first edition)
• Last:
• Shooting Events: 4
• Shooters at YOG: 80 http://www.issf-sports.org/theissf/championships/youth_olimpic_games.ashx

World Championships

• Frequency: Every 4 years, 2 years after the Olympics
• Next: Munich 2010
• Last: Zagreb 2006 http://www.issf-sports.org/theissf/championships/world_championships.ashx

World Cup

• Frequency: Annually
• Shooting Events: 15 Olympic Shooting Events (5 pistol, 5 rifle, 5 shotgun) http://www.issf-sports.org/theissf/championships/world_cup.ashx

Continental Championships

• Africa
• America
• Asia
• Europe
• Oceania

(each continent determines for itself when the competitions are and how many events) http://www.issf-sports.org/theissf/championships/continental_championships.ashx