40 years since the first Olympic gold medal
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games have officially begun. In the 10-meter air rifle mixed team competition of the Paris Olympics on July 27, Beijing time, Chinese players Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao won the championship and won the first gold medal of the Chinese delegation in the Paris Olympics, which is also the first gold medal produced by the Paris Olympics.
40 years, continue to write the glory of the country
From 1984 to 2024, for 40 years, the athletes of the shooting team have continued to write the glory of the country.
The first gold is 40 years Source: @人民日报
However, we can never forget the birth of the first gold medal. Forty years ago, on July 29, at the Los Angeles Olympics, Chinese athlete Xu Haifeng won the championship in the men's pistol slow-fire competition with a total score of 566 rings, achieving a breakthrough of "zero" for China's Olympic gold medal. This gold medal that changed the history of the Chinese Olympic Games not only represents the personal glory of the athletes, but also symbolizes the rise of the country and the rejuvenation of the nation.
Xu Haifeng won the championship Source: Xinhua News Agency
So, how much do you know about shooting competitions? How big is the target paper in a shooting competition? What do shooters rely on to walk through the Yang? Today, let's walk into the world of guns and targets.
The history of shooting competitions
Shooting has been one of the events since the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and is one of the oldest in the history of the Olympic Games, having missed the 1904 and 1928 Olympic Games. The shooting competition has witnessed the birth of many legendary athletes, and also reflects the continuous advancement of shooting sports technology and the evolution of rules.
The shooting competition is divided into three events: rifle, pistol and skeet shooting. Rifle and pistol competitions take place at shooting ranges, with athletes shooting at distances of 10, 25 and 50 meters from the target. There are three shooting positions: kneeling (the player is on one knee with the other knee supporting the gun to shoot), lying and standing. Some events require all three shooting positions to be used at the same time. To ensure the accuracy of the shot, athletes need to use a variety of relaxation techniques to lower their heart rate and keep the bullet as close to the bullseye as possible.
Skeet shooting competitions are held outdoors and athletes are required to shoot down skeet targets flying from different directions and angles. The sport requires athletes to have a high level of concentration, decision-making, and sharp reflexes.
How big is the target paper?
How big is the target paper in a shooting competition? Can an athlete see the target clearly? In fact, the target paper ten meters away was just a vague black dot.
What you think and what you actually are Source: Weibo
According to the International Shooting Federation, the 10-meter air rifle target paper is a square with a total side length of 80 mm. And what we often call the ten rings, that is, the bullseye of the target paper, is only 0.5 mm in diameter.
Comparison of target paper and 1 yuan coin Source: @江宁公安在线
The 10-meter air rifle target is printed on a piece of A4 paper, and then placed 10 meters away, the diameter of 1 ring of the target paper is only 4.55cm, and the bullseye of the highest 10.9 rings is only 0.5mm in diameter.
Observation of targets at different distances Source: Wuhan Science and Technology Museum
Moreover, air rifles have scopes, but they do not have a magnifying function. The bullseye is so small and so far away, how can a shooter manage to pass through the sun in a hundred steps and not miss the gun?
Feeling first?
Xu Haifeng once said that for shooters, the most important thing is feeling, not vision. Xu Haifeng also joked that in the past, he used to select materials and specifically select athletes with poor eyesight. When your vision is blurred, you don't pay too much attention to the bull's-eye, but instead focus all your energy on maintaining your balance and stability.
Balance and stability
In shooting competitions, breathing and heartbeat have a greater impact on athletes, so wearing a professional shooting suit is to increase one's stability and minimize the impact of all aspects. At the same time, the exterior of the shooting suit is mainly composed of two layers of thick canvas, so that the design of the shooting suit will become strong, and the material used in the shooting is also shockproof. The shooting pants of shooting athletes also have the effect of protecting the knees, which can help athletes better protect themselves when shooting.
Chinese pair Huang Yuting/Sheng Lihao wear professional shooting suits during the competition Source: CCTV5
Strengthen your own exercise
Olympic champion Du Li has said that although her eyesight is not problematic, balance and stability are indeed the most important thing for shooters. For example, Du Li said that if you put your right foot on top of your left foot, close your eyes, and stretch your arms out, the average person may only be able to stand for a few tens of seconds and no longer be able to maintain balance. But for professional shooters, standing for a few minutes or even ten minutes is no problem.
The National Rifle Pistol Shooting Team is participating in winter training Source: National Rifle Pistol Shooting Team
The power of inheritance, the first Olympic gold medal for 40 years, this is the answer of generations of Chinese Olympic athletes.
Looking back on the past 40 years, generations of Chinese Olympic athletes have stood under the five-star red flag on the podium to witness the glory and witness the sea of stars for the Chinese to compete in the Olympic Games.
I wish the Olympic athletes another great achievement!