Tokyo Olympics: How replacing existing shooting events with new ones has helped establish gender equality

Shooting has been an Olympic sport since the very first modern Olympics which was held in 1896. Shooting was not included only in two Olympic games thus far, the 1904 and 1928 Olympics. Shooting as a sport has many different events, like Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun events.

Although the sport of shooting has been a constant in the Olympic games, the different shooting events have constantly changed over the years. Many of the shooting events that were a part of the earlier Olympics have ceased to exist or have been modified over the years. Some new events have also been included.

Running Target: A Shooting event which was once a part of Olympic Games

In this article we take a detailed look at all the shooting events at the Tokyo Olympics. We will also look at the exclusions since the last games in Rio and the new inclusions.

Shooting Events included in the 2016 Rio Olympics

In the last 3 Olympic Games, there were a total of 15 shooting events included in the Olympics. The 15 events had a total of 9 events for men ( 3 Rifle events, 3 pistol events, 2 Trap events and 1 Skeet event) and 6 events for women (2 Rifle events, 2 Pistol events,1 Trap event and 1 Skeet event).

Men's 50m Pistol Event: An event not included in the Tokyo Olympics

The detailed list of shooting events organized in the 2016 Rio Olympics are as follows:

Rifle Events:

1) 10m Air Rifle Men

2) 10m Air Rifle Women

3) 50m Rifle 3 Position Men

4) 50m Rifle 3 Position Women

5) Men's 50m Rifle Prone

Pistol Events:

1) 10m Air Pistol Men

2) 10m Air Pistol Women

3) 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men

4) 25m Pistol Women

5) Men's 50m Pistol

Shotgun Events:

1) Trap Men

2) Trap Women

3) Double Trap Men

4) Skeet Men

5) Skeet Women

Exclusions and inclusions in the shooting events at the Tokyo Olympics

In order to promote gender equality in the Tokyo Olympics, the IOC and ISSF decided to make the number of gold medals available for men and women equal.

As a result, the number of men's shooting events were reduced from 9 to 6 and made equal to the number of women shooting events, already present. The 3 men's shooting events that got excluded from this year's Olympics are Men's 50m Rifle Prone, Men's 50m Pistol and Men's Double Trap.

These were the 3 events that did not have their corresponding women's discipline in the previous games.

Men's Double Trap: The Shotgun Event excluded from the Tokyo Olympics

However the total number of shooting events in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics is still 15, ie. same as that of the 2016 Rio Olympics. This was made possible by the inclusion of three new mixed team events, viz. 10m Air Rifle Mixed team, 10m Air Pistol Mixed team and Trap Mixed team.

The concept of a mixed team event is a new one in the sport of shooting. In this event, one male and one female shooter team up to shoot. Their combined score is considered as the score of their team and the team with the highest score finally wins.

The 3 mixed team events have been introduced in place of the 3 men's event at the Tokyo Olympics. This has ensured that the total number of gold medals won by men and women will be equal in the sport of shooting.

This is surely a very welcome concept.

10m Air Rifle Mixed Team Event: Another new inclusion in the Tokyo Olympics

The detailed list of shooting events of the Tokyo Olympics are as follows: