Paralympics 2024 Shooting: Know all about the different types of para-shooting being played at Paris

The Paralympic Games started way back in 1960 in Rome and shooting has been a part of the quadrennial event since 1976, when the Games took place in Toronto. Notably, shooting is one of the toughest Paralympic sports since it requires a lot of nerves.

India has a huge shooting contingent, similar to the Paris Olympics. The Paris 2024 Paralympics will witness 10 Indian shooters aiming their best shots to bring home more medals.

Shooting is a sport which has yielded India the most medals at the Paralympic Games after athletics. While athletics has given 18 medals in total, shooting stands tall with five. That includes two gold, one silver and two bronze medals. Notably, all these five medals were won in the Tokyo Paralympics which was held in 2021.

Now today, to make things easier for the audience, we will discuss about the various categories or classes involved in para shooting.

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What are the different categories?

Firstly, there are two disciplines - pistol and rifle, where shooters shoot from distances of 10m, 25m and 50m. Athletes in these disciplines compete either in a standing position (at times wheelchair or seat in case they are not able to stand), by kneeling and by prone (here the shooters are given elbow support table).

There are two classes - SH1 and SH2. SH stands for shooting.

The SH1 class is for athletes who can hold their gun without difficulty and can shoot from a standing or sitting position (wheelchair or chair). They may use pistol or rifle.

The SH2 class on the other hand, is for athletes who are not able to hold their rifle on their own and need a stand. But they can aim on their own and control the rifle while firing a shot. In SH2, some athletes might need assistance in reloading their rifle.