On Tuesday, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) confirmed the sports and events for the LA 2028 Paralympic Games.

22 sports will be included in LA 2028 offering 552 medal events and quota places for a total of 4,400 athletes. The Para Shooting program will mirror what was delivered at the Paris 2024 Games and will include 13 events across pistol and rifle, with 3 male, 3 female and 7 mixed/open events. Possible new disciplines/events of Para Trap and Visually Impaired (VI – Rifle) have not been included on the program.

MEN’S EVENTS: 
Rifle R1 – 10m Air Rifle Standing – SH1, R7 – 50m Rifle 3 positions – SH1, Pistol P1 – 10m Air Pistol – SH1

WOMEN’S EVENTS: 
Rifle R2 – 10m Air Rifle Standing – SH1, R8 – 50m Rifle 3 positions – SH1, Pistol P2 – 10m Air Pistol – SH1

MIXED/OPEN EVENTS: Rifle R3 – 10m Air Rifle Prone – SH1, R4 – 10m Air Rifle Standing – SH2, R5 – 10m Air Rifle Prone – SH2, R6 – 50m Rifle Prone – SH1, R9 – 50m Rifle Prone – SH2, Pistol P3 – 25m Pistol – SH1, P4 – 50m Pistol – SH1

Of the IPC’s announcement about the LA 2028 Para Shooting program, Shooting Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Adam Sachs, says, “We are glad to have confirmation of the events that will be contested at the LA2028 Paralympic Games, and a bit surprised that they don’t include Para Trap or VI. Shooting Australia will continue to invest in progressing the performances of its current Para athletes and at the same time, increase investment towards fast tracking the identification, development and performances of our next generation of Para Shooting athletes across the events that will be comprise the LA 2028 program.

“We are excited about the prospect of our current and future athletes establishing themselves as regular finalists and medallists in the lead up to the LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games.”  

QUALIFICATION 9:30am local/5:30pm AEST

FINAL 11:45am local/7:45pm AEST (top 8 qualifiers)

How can you follow Anton’s event?

You can see the competition start list and follow Anton’s scores live via the Paris 2024 website.

R6 – MIXED 50M RIFLE PRONE SH1

What is the R6 Mixed 50m Rifle Prone event?

R6 is a quick reference of the event with R representing Rifle. We could just say “today Anton is competing in the R6 event”.

Mixed means that men and women will be competing on the line at the same time, against each other.

50m Rifle is the distance between the athlete and the target. 

Prone means the position the competitor will be in to shoot. The prone position resembles a ‘lying down’ position. 

What is the competition format of the R6 Mixed 50m Rifle Prone event?

A smallbore .22 calibre (5.6mm) rifle is used to fire 60 shots down the 50 metre range in 50 minutes, aiming for the bullseye! The target measures 15.5cms in diametre. The “10” ring is 1cm (10 mm) in diameter with an inner “X” ring (bullseye) a mere 5mm in diametre. 

The goal of shooting this event is to place a series of shots inside the centre ring (‘bullseye’) of the target. The target is comprised of 10 concentric scoring rings with a score grade of 1 to 10.

The 60 shots will be fired in 6 x ten shot series.

The top eight athletes in the qualification round qualify for the final, however, qualification scores are not carried over into the final. 

On day 5 of Para Shooting Sport competition at the National Shooting Centre in Chateauroux, Australia’s Natalie Smith, 4 time Paralympian, secured her spot in the R8 Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Position final after shooting a qualification score of 1156.

In what is deemed the marathon event in the rifle events due to the number of shots fired (120) over a 2 hour and 45 minute time frame, and in front of her husband Stuart and son Daniel, Smith put some high series’ scores on the board (10 shots per series) across the kneeling, prone and standing positions, qualifying her in 8th place leading into the final.

With scores set back to zero for the final, Smith had to readjust between the outdoor range used during qualification, and competiting for the first time on an indoor range for the final. At the end of the 15 shots in the kneeling position, Smith was ranked 3rd. A further 15 shots in the prone position and 10 shots in the standing position would determine who would be eliminated from final in 7th and 8th place. Smith finished her 40 shots on a score of 396.2 and placed 8th.

This was Smith’s equal best result in this event at a Paralympic Games. The R8 event concludes Smith’s Paris 2024 Paralympic campaign. She will now support teammate Anton Zappelli in his final event on Thursday, before departing Chateauroux for the Paralympic Village in Paris, and attendance at the Closing Ceremony.

NINE NOW FULL FINAL REPLAY

QUALIFICATION AND FINAL SCORES

NATALIE SMITH R8 EVENT RECAP (PARALYMPICS AUSTRALIA)

QUALIFICATION 9:30am local/5:30pm AEST

FINAL 4pm local/12am AEST 4 September (top 8 qualifiers)

How can you follow Natalie’s event?

You can see the competition start list and follow Natalie’s scores live via the Paris 2024 website.

R8 WOMEN’S 50M RIFLE 3 POSITION

Anton Zappelli’s R3 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone Event Day 3 – 1 September

Anton Zappelli competed in the R3 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone event on Sunday 1 September. Anton shot a qualification score of 631.9, placing 15th and bettering his score in Tokyo 2020 by 0.3 points. Read the competition recap and see the competition scores via the buttons below.

ANTON ZAPPELLI R3 EVENT RECAP (PARALYMPICS AUSTRALIA)

R3 MIXED 10M AIR RIFLE PRONE SCORES

What is the R8 Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions event?

R8 is a quick reference of the event with R representing Rifle. We could just say “today Natalie is competing in the R8 event”.

This event is one of the three women’s only events including in this years Olympics.

50m Rifle is the distance between the athlete and the target. 

3 positions means that the competitors will shoot a combination of positions that includes kneeling, prone and standing.

What is the competition format of the R8 Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions event?

This event is considered the marathon event out of the rifle events due to the time it takes to compete qualifification; 2 hours and 45 minutes!

A smallbore .22 calibre (5.6mm) rifle is used to fire 120 shots down the 50 metre range, aiming for the bullseye! The target measures 15.5cms in diametre. The “10” ring is 1cm (10 mm) in diameter with an inner “X” ring (bullseye) a mere 5mm in diametre. 

The goal of shooting this event is to place a series of shots inside the centre ring (‘bullseye’) of the target. The target is comprised of 10 concentric scoring rings with a score grade of 1 to 10. Natalie will fire 40 shots in the kneeling position, 40 shots in the prone position and 40 shots in the standing position. The shots will be fired

QUALIFICATION 9:30am local/5:30pm AEST

FINAL 1pm local/9pm AEST (top 8 qualifiers)

How can you follow Anton’s event?

You can see the competition start list and follow Anton’s scores live via the Paris 2024 website.

R3 MIXED 10M AIR RIFLE PRONE (SH1) 1 SEPTEMBER

Natalie Smith R2 Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing (SH1) Day 1 – 30 August

Natalie Smith competed in the R2 Women’s 10m Air Rifle (SH1) event on Friday 30th August. Natalie shot a qualification score of 614.1, placing 12th, bettering her score and result from Tokyo 2020. Read the competition recap and see the competition scores via the links below.

NATALIE SMITH R2 EVENT RECAP (PARALYMPICS AUSTRALIA)

R2 WOMEN’S 10M AIR RIFLE SCORES

What is the R3 10m Mixed Air Rifle Prone event?

R3 is a quick reference of the event with R representing Rifle. We could just say “today Anton is competing in the R3 event”.

Mixed means an event with both men and women competing on the line against each other.

10m Air Rifle is the distance between the athlete and the target, and of course air rifle is the firearm being used.

Prone usually means a laying down position by which the athlete is able to support the rifle with an elbow to the ground. But in this event, the athletes rest their elbow on a tray table, providing additional support to the rifle.

What is the competition format of the R3 10m Mixed Air Rifle Prone event?

The competition format is very similar to that of able-bodied shooting sport – the goal of shooting is to place a series of shots inside the centre ring (‘bullseye’) of the target. The target is comprised of 10 concentric scoring rings with a score grade of 1 to 10; the central ring giving 10 points.

In the case of the 10m Air Rifle event, the scoring rings are each further subdivided into 10 scoring zones to give a decimal scoring system, with 10.9 being the very centre of the target and the highest possible score per shot.

The bulls-eye of the 10m rifle target is only 0.05cm wide!

Anton will fire 60 shots at the target through 6 x ten shot series. He will have a 10 minute preparation and sighting time, followed by 50 minutes to fire the competition shots.

The top eight athletes in the qualification round qualify for the final, however qualification scores are not carried over into the final.

What does SH1 mean in Anton’s event?

Para Shooting athletes receive formal competition classification relative to their impairment and in accordance with the World Shooting Para Sport Classification Rules and Regulations.

There are three classification classes; SH1, SH2 and SH3, however only SH1 and SH2 classes are currently represented in the Paralympic Games.

SH1 – Shooting athletes are able to support a firearm without a stand
SH2 – Shooting athletes require a firearm support to shoot
SH3 – Blind shooters (sights seek sound-emitting targets)

Sub-classifications A, B and C define wheelchair backrest height depending on back and pelvic strength per athlete.

Specifically for SH1 in rifle, this sport class is designated to athletes with lower limb impairment.

You can find more information on classification below.

PARA SHOOTING CLASSIFICATION

Today is day 1 of competition for Para Shooting Sport as part of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games! And it is Natalie Smith in action in the R2 Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing (SH1) Event.

QUALIFICATION 30 August 9am local/5pm AEST

FINAL 11:45am local/7:45pm AEST (top 8 qualifiers)

How can you follow Natalie’s event?

You can see the competition start list and follow Natalie’s scores live via the Paris 2024 website.

R2 10M WOMEN’S AIR RIFLE STANDING

What is the R2 10m Women’s Air Rifle Standing event?

R2 is a quick reference of the event. We could just say “today Natalie is competing in the R2 event”.

Women’s means an event with only female competitors. There are only a small number of Para Shooting Sport events that are specific to men and women. The majority are open events ie both men and women competing on the line against each other.

10m Air Rifle is the distance between the athlete and the target, and of course air rifle is the firearm being used.

What is the competition format of the R2 10m Air Rifle event?

The competition format is very similar to that of able-bodied shooting sport – the goal of shooting is to place a series of shots inside the centre ring (‘bullseye’) of the target. The target is comprised of 10 concentric scoring rings with a score grade of 1 to 10; the central ring giving 10 points.

In the case of the 10m Air Rifle event, the scoring rings are each further subdivided into 10 scoring zones to give a decimal scoring system, with 10.9 being the very centre of the target and the highest possible score per shot.

The bulls-eye of the 10m rifle target is only 0.05cm wide!

Natalie will fire 60 shots at the target through 6 x ten shot series. She will have a 15 minute preparation and sighting time, followed by 75 minutes to fire the competition shots.

The top eight athletes in the qualification round qualify for the final, however qualification scores are not carried over into the final.

What does SH1 mean in Natalie’s event?

Para Shooting athletes receive formal competition classification relative to their impairment and in accordance with the World Shooting Para Sport Classification Rules and Regulations.

There are three classification classes; SH1, SH2 and SH3, however only SH1 and SH2 classes are currently represented in the Paralympic Games.

SH1 – Shooting athletes are able to support a firearm without a stand
SH2 – Shooting athletes require a firearm support to shoot
SH3 – Blind shooters (sights seek sound-emitting targets)

Sub-classifications A, B and C define wheelchair backrest height depending on back and pelvic strength per athlete.

Specifically for SH1 in rifle, this sport class is designated to athletes with lower limb impairment.

You can find more information on classification by clicking the button below.

PARA SHOOTING CLASSIFICATION

PARALYMPICS AUSTRALIA – AUSSIE SHOOTERS LOCKED AND LOADED FOR PARIS

The Australian Paralympic Shooting Team has touched down and settled in, in Chateauroux! Natalie Smith (QLD) and Anton Zappelli (WA) are in their final stages of preparation ahead of the start of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Shooting competition.

From 30 August to 5 September, the world’s best will compete at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre. Shooting Para sport has been part of the Paralympics since 1976, and this year’s events include three female, three male, and seven mixed competitions.

Meet the Australian Shooting Athletes!

Natalie Smith is returning for her fourth consecutive Paralympic Games (Bronze medal in London in 2012) and Anton Zappelli returning for his third.

Let’s learn a bit more about them!

NATALIE SMITH

ANTON ZAPPELLI

Paris 2024 Shooting Para Sport in Numbers

• 51 countries
• 160 athletes
• 59 female athletes
• 101 male athletes
• 13 medal events
• 7 competition days

Paralympic Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 is thinking big and reinventing the Opening Ceremony by taking it outside the confines of a traditional stadium. On 28 August 2024 at 20:00 local time (4am AEST on 29 August), Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées will be the stage for this groundbreaking celebration in the heart of Paris.

Due to the 270km distance from Chateauroux to Paris, the Australian Shooting Team will not be attending the Opening Ceremony. Instead, they will have a special Games opening celebration in Chateauroux.

When will the Australian athletes be competing?

Natalie Smith

R2 Womens 10m Air Rifle Standing – QUALIFICATION 30 August 9am local/5pm AEST, FINAL 11:45am local/7:45pm AEST

R8 Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions – QUALIFICATION 3 September 9:30am local/5:30pm AEST, FINAL 4pm local/12am AEST 4 September

Anton Zappelli

R3 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone – QUALIFICATION 1 September 9:30am local/5:30pm AEST, FINAL 1pm local/9pm AEST

R6 Mixed 50m Rifle Prone – QUALIFICATION 5 September 9:30am local/5:30pm AEST, FINAL 11:45am local/ 7:45pm AEST

PARIS 2024 PARALYMPIC GAMES – SHOOTING COMPETITION SCHEDULE

PARIS 2024 PARALYMPIC GAMES – ALL SPORTS COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Shooting Australia’s Paralympic Coverage and Games Guidelines

Shooting Australia will be providing regular updates via email and social media throughout the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. At all times, we will ensure we adhere to the Paris Games Guidelines that are provided by International paralympic Committee (IPC) and supplemented by Paralympics Australia. 

The guidelines will be in place during the ‘Games Period’ of 21 August to 10 September. This period is also known as the ‘Media Blackout Period’.

PARIS 2024 GAMES GUIDELINES

Where to watch the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games

Follow the action via the Paralympic YouTube Channel and the International Paralympic Committee website (geo-blocking policies may apply).

Shooting sport action starts on August 30th, but the streams will start on September 1st.

PARALYMPIC YOUTUBE CHANNEL

INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE WEBSITE

Where to follow the scores live

You can follow scores live via the Paris 2024 official website. Just click on the applicable date and event for the start list and live results.

FOLLOW SCORES LIVE

The Paralympic Medals

Paris 2024 Paralympic medals blend French history with sport!

Each medal features a piece of original Eiffel Tower iron and unique engravings for gold, silver, and bronze. Crafted by Chaumet, these medals celebrate French heritage and sport excellence.

PARALYMPIC MEDALS

Meet the Paris 2024 Paralympic Mascot: The Phryge

The Paralympic Phryge (pronounced “FREE-je”), the spirited mascot for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, embodies the essence of French values and the spirit of inclusivity.

Inspired by the iconic Phrygian cap, a historical symbol of liberty and freedom, the Paralympic Phryge brings this legacy into the world of sports. Known for its rich history and representation of freedom, the Phrygian cap has been a part of many significant moments in French history, making it a fitting symbol for the Games.

The Paralympic Phryge is a vibrant and energetic character, known for its spontaneity and fearlessness. It rallies everyone around with its enthusiasm, making it the ultimate cheerleader for Para athletes competing at the Paris 2024 Games.

General Paris 2024 Paralympic Information

• The first Paralympic summer games in Paris/France
• More than 4,400 athletes from around the world competing in 549 medal events
• A record number of delegations (168) and females (1,983 female athletes or 45% of athletes), competing
• The Games will showcase 22 sports, including both individual and team sports
• 11 days of competition
• 4 billion + viewers worldwide

How you can support the Paris 2024 Australian Paralympic Team

Buy a Virtual Seat

Show your support for Australia’s extraordinary Para-athletes by purchasing a Virtual Corporate Box or Virtual Seat that you can personalise with Aussie Team stickers. Your contribution gets you access to our exclusive Virtual Stadium where you can experience the excitement of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

BUY A VIRTUAL SEAT

Join the AUS Squad          

Join the official cheer squad of the Australian Paralympic Team and Paralympic movement.

JOIN THE AUS SQUAD

Merchandise

Buy some Paris 2024 Australian Paralympic Team replica and supporter merchandise.

MERCHANDISE

#ImagineWhatWeCan Do

On the road to Paris 2024 this is the moment to imagine what is possible, to imagine what it could look like to win big.

With the whole nation cheering us on as we represent Australia on the world’s biggest stage… Imagine What We Can Do in Paris 2024.