Free rifle at the Olympics

The free rifle is a group of events held at the Olympics, beginning in 1896 and continuing to the current programme. Current nomenclature drops the "free" and refers to the event type as the "rifle." The women's 50-metre version has also been called the "standard" and "sport" rifle. The "free" rifle is distinct from the military, air, and small-bore rifle events.

The current Olympic program includes two free rifle events: the ISSF 50 meter rifle three positions for both men (since 1952) and women (since 1984; women were nominally allowed to compete with the men from 1968 to 1980, although very few women participated these years). Two other events were held for numerous Games: the 300 m rifle three positions for men from 1900 to 1920 and from 1948 to 1972 and the ISSF 50 meter rifle prone for men from 1912 to 2016 (excluding 1920 and 1924). The 300 m rifle prone is a shooting discipline held at the world championships but never consistently at the Olympics.

In 1896, a 300-meter free rifle event was held without position requirements. In 1900, medals were awarded for each of the three positions in the 300-metre free rifle competition, using the scores from the full individual event. Four team events were held, with individual scores summed to give a team result in 1900 and 1920 and separate team shooting in 1908 and 1912. A 600-meter event for men was held in 1912, a 600-meter prone event for men in 1924, and a 1000-yard event for men in 1908.

50 m rifle three positions

Men

1952 Helsinki Boris Andreyev 1956 Melbourne 1960 Rome 1964 Tokyo 1968 Mexico City (mixed) 1972 Munich (mixed) 1976 Montreal (mixed) 1980 Moscow (mixed) 1984 Los Angeles 1988 Seoul 1992 Barcelona 1996 Atlanta 2000 Sydney 2004 Athens 2008 Beijing 2012 London 2016 Rio de Janeiro 2020 Tokyo 2024 Paris

Multiple medalists

Rank Athlete Nation OlympicsGoldSilverBronze Total 1 Malcolm Cooper 1984–1988 2 0 0 2 Niccolò Campriani 2012–2016 2 0 0 2 3 John Writer 1968–1972 1 1 0 2 Lanny Bassham 1972–1976 1 1 0 2 5 Rajmond Debevec 2000, 2008 1 0 1 2 6 Alister Allan 1984–1988 0 1 1 2

Medalists by nation

Rank NationGoldSilverBronze Total 1 3 5 1 9 2 3 1 3 8 3 3 0 0 3 4 2 1 1 4 5 2 0 0 2 6 1 0 1 2 1 0 1 2 1 0 1 2 1 0 1 2 10 1 0 0 1 11 0 2 0 2 12 0 1 1 2 13 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 20 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 2 22 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1

Women

1984 Los Angeles 1988 Seoul 1992 Barcelona 1996 Atlanta 2000 Sydney 2004 Athens 2008 Beijing 2012 London 2016 Rio de Janeiro 2020 Tokyo 2024 Paris

Multiple medalists

Rank Athlete Nation OlympicsGoldSilverBronze Total 1 Renata Mauer 1996–2000 1 0 1 2 Du Li 2008, 2016 1 0 1 2

Medalists by nation

Rank NationGoldSilverBronze Total 1 2 1 2 5 2 2 0 1 3 3 1 2 1 4 4 1 1 0 2 5 1 0 2 3 6 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 8 0 2 0 2 9 0 1 1 2 10 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 12 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1

50 m rifle prone

Men

1908 London 1912 Stockholm 1920 Antwerp Not held 1924 Paris Not held 1928 Amsterdam Not held 1932 Los Angeles 1936 Berlin 1948 London 1952 Helsinki Boris Andreyev 1956 Melbourne 1960 Rome 1964 Tokyo 1968 Mexico City (mixed) 1972 Munich (mixed) 1976 Montreal (mixed) 1980 Moscow (mixed) 1984 Los Angeles 1988 Seoul 1992 Barcelona 1996 Atlanta 2000 Sydney 2004 Athens 2008 Beijing 2012 London 2016 Rio de Janeiro

Multiple medalists

Rank Athlete Nation OlympicsGoldSilverBronze Total 1 László Hammerl 1964–1968 1 1 0 2 Matthew Emmons 2004–2008 1 1 0 2 3 Sergei Martynov 2000–2004, 2012 1 0 2 3

Medalists by nation

Rank NationGoldSilverBronze Total 1 4 5 2 11 2 2 2 2 6 3 2 1 0 3 4 2 0 1 3 5 2 0 0 2 6 1 2 3 6 7 1 2 0 3 8 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 2 10 1 0 2 3 11 1 0 1 2 1 0 1 2 13 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 16 0 2 1 3 17 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 23 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1

300 m rifle three positions

Men

1900 Paris 1904 St. Louis Not held 1908 London 1912 Stockholm 1920 Antwerp 1924 Paris Not held 1928 Amsterdam Not held 1932 Los Angeles Not held 1936 Berlin Not held 1948 London 1952 Helsinki Anatoli Bogdanov Lev Vainshtein 1956 Melbourne 1960 Rome 1964 Tokyo 1968 Mexico City (mixed) 1972 Munich (mixed)

Multiple medalists

Rank Athlete Nation OlympicsGoldSilverBronze Total 1 Gary Anderson 1964–1968 2 0 0 2 2 Vasily Borisov 1956–1960 1 0 1 2 3 Niels Larsen 1912–1920 0 1 1 2

Medalists by nation

Rank NationGoldSilverBronze Total 1 4 1 1 6 2 2 4 2 8 3 2 2 1 5 4 1 0 4 5 5 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 7 0 3 1 4 8 0 1 1 2 9 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1

300 m free rifle

Men

1896 Athens

300 m rifle kneeling

Men

1900 Paris Not awarded

300 m rifle prone

Men

1900 Paris

300 m rifle standing

Men

1900 Paris

300 m rifle team

Men

1900 Paris 1904 St. Louis Not held 1908 London 1912 Stockholm 1920 Antwerp

Multiple medalists

Rank Athlete Nation OlympicsGoldSilverBronze Total 1 Ole Sæther 1900, 1908–1912 1 2 0 3 Albert Helgerud 1908–1920 1 2 0 3 Gudbrand Skatteboe 1908–1920 1 2 0 3 4 Gustaf Adolf Jonsson 1908–1912 1 1 0 2 Einar Liberg 1908–1912 1 1 0 2 Olaf Sæther 1908–1912 1 1 0 2 7 Østen Østensen 1912–1920 0 2 0 2

Medalists by nation

Rank NationGoldSilverBronze Total 1 1 3 0 3 2 1 1 0 2 3 1 0 1 2 4 1 0 0 1 5 0 0 2 2 6 0 0 1 1

600 m rifle

Men

1912 Stockholm

600 m rifle prone

Men

1920 Antwerp

1000 yd rifle

Men

1908 London

References