In addition to the pre-occupation of over two and a half thousand competitors on range with the ISSF World Championships, there were other events taking place in Munich off range during the past week which kept others involved in the international world of shooting sports busy.

One such event was the ISSF General Assembly and here on our little green island located on the western fringes of Europe it can be easy to forget that the ICPSA is part of a much larger international shooting sports family of National Governing Bodies and it was as part of this role that the Association joined over 100 other countries for this year’s gathering in Bavaria.

There was a veritable united nations atmosphere as Ireland found itself sandwiched between Iran on one side with Iceland and Israel on the other while a multitude of translators ensured that everyone present was fully aware through the use of wireless headphones of what every speaker was saying at all times.

The interest shown in the Assembly by both the media and political establishment was something which we in Ireland are not perhaps accustomed to and highlights the gulf between how shooting sports are perceived here at home compared to abroad and one would have to ask, short of a miracle, what could be done to rectify this imbalance?

Among the business transacted on what was a full agenda of issues over the two days was the election of principal officers for the Federation plus a general council as well as the Chairs for the various ISSF sub-committees and the awarding of upcoming major Championships. 

When it comes to votes at the ISSF General Assembly it does not matter if you are the Deutscher Schutzen Bund with over one and a half million members drawn from throughout Germany or the ICPSA with a fraction of one per cent of this number, everyone has a voice at the table and one vote is as valuable as the next to all the electoral candidates.

Most importantly of all this event afforded the ICPSA and the NTSA an opportunity to represent Ireland in a positive light on the world stage and ensure that we have a chance to meet and exchange views with our fellow international shooting sports partners both formally and informally as it is often on occasions such as these that we can see that the more different we might appear, the more we have in common.

Another off range event of importance this week was the formative meeting of a new ISSF Coaching Steering Group.  ICPSA member Kevin Kilty was in attendance at this occasion wearing two hats being both a representative of the Association and the Director of Shotgun Coach Training at the ISSF Academy in Kuartane, Finland.  While this project is still in its early stages, it promises to be an interesting time in the months and years ahead on the ISSF coaching front.

But most importantly of all, this weeks activities focus on the sport of shooting in its various forms and the first ICPSA members into action were Derek Burnett, Philip Murphy and Thomas O’Grady in the men’s Olympic Trap event.

The fact that the first quota places for all shooting disciplines at the London Olympiad in 2012 were available at this Championships ensured not alone that the participants would be of the very highest calibre (no pun intended) but also made it a certainty that this quality would be matched by strength in dept with a total entry of almost 160 shooters in the Olympic Trap event.

The promise of shooting to the highest standard was made a reality on day one with two competitors shooting 75 straight to be closely shadowed by a number of shooters on just one or two targets away.

One of these participants is Irelands Burnett who finished on a total of 73 ex 75 following rounds of 24, 25 and 24 leaving him well placed as the competition enters day two.

Both O’Grady and Murphy finished on scores of 69 following rounds of 23, 22, 24 and 24, 20, 25 respectively and no doubt Murphy will rue his catastrophic second round bearing in mind his performances at the last two ISSF World Championships.

As an aside to this year’s Championships the Institute of Sport has kindly sent two representatives to accompany our Olympic Trap contingent so that they can better understand our sport and also assess our requirements and that of our shooters going forward both pre-competition and while in competition itself.

We wish our Olympic Trap participants the best of luck as they prepare to begin day two and updates will be posted as they become available.

The standings after day one are now available as a download attachment.

Day 2:

Day two in Munich dawned wet and windy and the early start necessary to get the field through their final 50 targets sawn a dawn rise for most participants.

Sadly the good foundation laid by Derek Burnett on day one was to no avail as two rounds of 23 saw him finish on 119, two birds short of contention for a place in the final.

Philip Murphy rebounded with a 24 and a 25 to leave him one target further adrift on 118 while Thomas O’Grady had to settle for a final score of 110 having finished with closing rounds of 22 and  19.

The final results are also now available as a download attachment.