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.

Free rifle
at the Olympic Games
Rifle shooting at the 1900 Summer Olympics
Overview
SportShooting
GenderMen and women
Years heldMen: At least one event every year shooting has been held (i.e., excl. 1904 and 1928)
Women: 1984–2020
Reigning champion
Men Zhang Changhong (CHN)
Women Nina Christen (SUI)

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

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Games Gold Silver Bronze
1952 Helsinki
details
Erling Kongshaug
  Norway
Vilho Ylönen
  Finland
Boris Andreyev
  Soviet Union
1956 Melbourne
details
Anatoli Bogdanov
  Soviet Union
Otakar Hořínek
  Czechoslovakia
John Sundberg
  Sweden
1960 Rome
details
Viktor Shamburkin
  Soviet Union
Marat Nyýazow
  Soviet Union
Klaus Zähringer
  United Team of Germany
1964 Tokyo
details
Lones Wigger
  United States
Velichko Velichkov
  Bulgaria
László Hammerl
  Hungary
1968 Mexico City
details (mixed)
Bernd Klingner
  West Germany
John Writer
  United States
Vitaly Parkhimovich
  Soviet Union
1972 Munich
details (mixed)
John Writer
  United States
Lanny Bassham
  United States
Werner Lippoldt
  East Germany
1976 Montreal
details (mixed)
Lanny Bassham
  United States
Margaret Murdock[1]
  United States
Werner Seibold
  West Germany
1980 Moscow
details (mixed)
Viktor Vlasov
  Soviet Union
Bernd Hartstein
  East Germany
Sven Johansson
  Sweden
1984 Los Angeles
details
Malcolm Cooper
  Great Britain
Daniel Nipkow
  Switzerland
Alister Allan
  Great Britain
1988 Seoul
details
Malcolm Cooper
  Great Britain
Alister Allan
  Great Britain
Kirill Ivanov
  Soviet Union
1992 Barcelona
details
Hrachya Petikyan
  Unified Team
Robert Foth
  United States
Ryohei Koba
  Japan
1996 Atlanta
details
Jean-Pierre Amat
  France
Sergey Belyayev
  Kazakhstan
Wolfram Waibel
  Austria
2000 Sydney
details
Rajmond Debevec
  Slovenia
Juha Hirvi
  Finland
Harald Stenvaag
  Norway
2004 Athens
details
Jia Zhanbo
  China
Michael Anti
  United States
Christian Planer
  Austria
2008 Beijing
details
Qiu Jian
  China
Jury Sukhorukov
  Ukraine
Rajmond Debevec
  Slovenia
2012 London
details
Niccolò Campriani
  Italy
Kim Jong-Hyun
  South Korea
Matthew Emmons
  United States
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details
Niccolò Campriani
  Italy
Sergey Kamenskiy
  Russia
Alexis Raynaud
  France
2020 Tokyo
details
Zhang Changhong
  China
Sergey Kamenskiy
  ROC
Milenko Sebić
  Serbia
2024 Paris
details
Liu Yukun
  China
Serhiy Kulish
  Ukraine
Swapnil Kusale
  India

Multiple medalists

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Rank Athlete Nation Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Malcolm Cooper   Great Britain (GBR) 1984–1988 2 0 0 2
Niccolò Campriani   Italy (ITA) 2012–2016 2 0 0 2
3 John Writer   United States (USA) 1968–1972 1 1 0 2
Lanny Bassham   United States (USA) 1972–1976 1 1 0 2
5 Rajmond Debevec   Slovenia (SLO) 2000, 2008 1 0 1 2
6 Alister Allan   Great Britain (GBR) 1984–1988 0 1 1 2

Medalists by nation

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Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1   United States (USA) 3 5 1 9
2   Soviet Union (URS) 3 1 3 8
3   China (CHN) 3 0 0 3
4   Great Britain (GBR) 2 1 1 4
5   Italy (ITA) 2 0 0 2
6   France (FRA) 1 0 1 2
  West Germany (FRG) 1 0 1 2
  Norway (NOR) 1 0 1 2
  Slovenia (SLO) 1 0 1 2
10   Unified Team (EUN) 1 0 0 1
11   Finland (FIN) 0 2 0 2
12   East Germany (GDR) 0 1 1 2
13   Bulgaria (BUL) 0 1 0 1
  Czechoslovakia (TCH) 0 1 0 1
  Kazakhstan (KAZ) 0 1 0 1
  Russia (RUS) 0 1 0 1
  South Korea (KOR) 0 1 0 1
  Switzerland (SUI) 0 1 0 1
  Ukraine (UKR) 0 1 0 1
20   Austria (AUT) 0 0 2 2
  Sweden (SWE) 0 0 2 2
22   United Team of Germany (EUA) 0 0 1 1
  Hungary (HUN) 0 0 1 1
  Japan (JPN) 0 0 1 1

Women

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Games Gold Silver Bronze
1984 Los Angeles
details
Wu Xiaoxuan
  China
Ulrike Holmer
  West Germany
Wanda Jewell
  United States
1988 Seoul
details
Silvia Sperber
  West Germany
Vesela Letcheva
  Bulgaria
Valentina Cherkasova
  Soviet Union
1992 Barcelona
details
Launi Meili
  United States
Nonka Matova
  Bulgaria
Małgorzata Książkiewicz
  Poland
1996 Atlanta
details
Aleksandra Ivošev
  FR Yugoslavia
Irina Gerasimenok
  Russia
Renata Mauer
  Poland
2000 Sydney
details
Renata Mauer
  Poland
Tatiana Goldobina
  Russia
Maria Feklistova
  Russia
2004 Athens
details
Lioubov Galkina
  Russia
Valentina Turisini
  Italy
Wang Chengyi
  China
2008 Beijing
details
Du Li
  China
Kateřina Emmons
  Czech Republic
Eglis Yaima Cruz
  Cuba
2012 London
details
Jamie Lynn Gray
  United States
Ivana Maksimović
  Serbia
Adéla Sýkorová
  Czech Republic
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details
Barbara Engleder
  Germany
Zhang Binbin
  China
Du Li
  China
2020 Tokyo
details
Nina Christen
  Switzerland
Yulia Zykova
  ROC
Yulia Karimova
  ROC
2024 Paris
details
Chiara Leone
  Switzerland
Sagen Maddalena
  United States
Zhang Qiongyue
  China

Multiple medalists

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Rank Athlete Nation Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Renata Mauer   Poland (POL) 1996–2000 1 0 1 2
Du Li   China (CHN) 2008, 2016 1 0 1 2

Medalists by nation

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Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1   China (CHN) 2 1 2 5
2   United States (USA) 2 0 1 3
3   Russia (RUS) 1 2 1 4
4   West Germany (FRG) 1 1 0 2
5   Poland (POL) 1 0 2 3
6   Germany (GER) 1 0 0 1
  Yugoslavia (YUG) 1 0 0 1
8   Bulgaria (BUL) 0 2 0 2
9   Czech Republic (CZE) 0 1 1 2
10   Italy (ITA) 0 1 0 1
  Serbia (SRB) 0 1 0 1
12   Cuba (CUB) 0 0 1 1
  Soviet Union (URS) 0 0 1 1

50 m rifle prone

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Games Gold Silver Bronze
1908 London
details
Arthur Carnell
  Great Britain
Harold Humby
  Great Britain
George Barnes
  Great Britain
1912 Stockholm
details
Frederick Hird
  United States
William Milne
  Great Britain
Henry Burt
  Great Britain
1920 Antwerp Not held
1924 Paris Not held
1928 Amsterdam Not held
1932 Los Angeles
details
Bertil Rönnmark
  Sweden
Gustavo Huet
  Mexico
Zoltán Soós-Ruszka Hradetzky
  Hungary
1936 Berlin
details
Willy Røgeberg
  Norway
Ralph Berzsenyi
  Hungary
Władysław Karaś
  Poland
1948 London
details
Arthur Cook
  United States
Walter Tomsen
  United States
Jonas Jonsson
  Sweden
1952 Helsinki
details
Iosif Sîrbu
  Romania
Boris Andreyev
  Soviet Union
Arthur Jackson
  United States
1956 Melbourne
details
Gerald Ouellette
  Canada
Vasily Borisov
  Soviet Union
Gil Boa
  Canada
1960 Rome
details
Peter Kohnke
  United Team of Germany
James Enoch Hill
  United States
Enrico Forcella
  Venezuela
1964 Tokyo
details
László Hammerl
  Hungary
Lones Wigger
  United States
Tommy Pool
  United States
1968 Mexico City
details (mixed)
Jan Kůrka
  Czechoslovakia
László Hammerl
  Hungary
Ian Ballinger
  New Zealand
1972 Munich
details (mixed)
Ri Ho-jun
  North Korea
Victor Auer
  United States
Nicolae Rotaru
  Romania
1976 Montreal
details (mixed)
Karlheinz Smieszek
  West Germany
Ulrich Lind
  West Germany
Gennadi Lushchikov
  Soviet Union
1980 Moscow
details (mixed)
Károly Varga
  Hungary
Hellfried Heilfort
  East Germany
Petar Zapryanov
  Bulgaria
1984 Los Angeles
details
Edward Etzel
  United States
Michel Bury
  France
Michael Sullivan
  Great Britain
1988 Seoul
details
Miroslav Varga
  Czechoslovakia
Cha Young-chul
  South Korea
Attila Záhonyi
  Hungary
1992 Barcelona
details
Lee Eun-chul
  South Korea
Harald Stenvaag
  Norway
Stevan Pletikosić
  Independent Olympic Participants
1996 Atlanta
details
Christian Klees
  Germany
Sergey Belyayev
  Kazakhstan
Jozef Gönci
  Slovakia
2000 Sydney
details
Jonas Edman
  Sweden
Torben Grimmel
  Denmark
Sergei Martynov
  Belarus
2004 Athens
details
Matthew Emmons
  United States
Christian Lusch
  Germany
Sergei Martynov
  Belarus
2008 Beijing
details
Artur Ayvazyan
  Ukraine
Matthew Emmons
  United States
Warren Potent
  Australia
2012 London
details
Sergei Martynov
  Belarus
Lionel Cox
  Belgium
Rajmond Debevec
  Slovenia
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details
Henri Junghänel
  Germany
Kim Jong-hyun
  South Korea
Kirill Grigoryan
  Russia

Multiple medalists

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Rank Athlete Nation Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 László Hammerl   Hungary (HUN) 1964–1968 1 1 0 2
Matthew Emmons   United States (USA) 2004–2008 1 1 0 2
3 Sergei Martynov   Belarus (BLR) 2000–2004, 2012 1 0 2 3

Medalists by nation

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Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1   United States (USA) 4 5 2 11
2   Hungary (HUN) 2 2 2 6
3   Germany (GER) 2 1 0 3
4   Sweden (SWE) 2 0 1 3
5   Czechoslovakia (TCH) 2 0 0 2
6   Great Britain (GBR) 1 2 3 6
7   South Korea (KOR) 1 2 0 3
8   West Germany (FRG) 1 1 0 2
  Norway (NOR) 1 1 0 2
10   Belarus (BLR) 1 0 2 3
11   Canada (CAN) 1 0 1 2
  Romania (ROU) 1 0 1 2
13   United Team of Germany (EUA) 1 0 0 1
  North Korea (PRK) 1 0 0 1
  Ukraine (UKR) 1 0 0 1
16   Soviet Union (URS) 0 2 1 3
17   Belgium (BEL) 0 1 0 1
  Denmark (DEN) 0 1 0 1
  France (FRA) 0 1 0 1
  East Germany (GDR) 0 1 0 1
  Kazakhstan (KAZ) 0 1 0 1
  Mexico (MEX) 0 1 0 1
23   Australia (AUS) 0 0 1 1
  Bulgaria (BUL) 0 0 1 1
  Independent Olympic Participants (IOP) 0 0 1 1
  New Zealand (NZL) 0 0 1 1
  Poland (POL) 0 0 1 1
  Russia (RUS) 0 0 1 1
  Slovakia (SVK) 0 0 1 1
  Slovenia (SLO) 0 0 1 1
  Venezuela (VEN) 0 0 1 1

300 m rifle three positions

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Games Gold Silver Bronze
1900 Paris
details
Emil Kellenberger
  Switzerland
Anders Peter Nielsen
  Denmark
Paul Van Asbroeck
  Belgium
Ole Østmo
  Norway
1904 St. Louis Not held
1908 London
details
Albert Helgerud
  Norway
Harry Simon
  United States
Ole Sæther
  Norway
1912 Stockholm
details
Paul Colas
  France
Lars Jørgen Madsen
  Denmark
Niels Larsen
  Denmark
1920 Antwerp
details
Morris Fisher
  United States
Niels Larsen
  Denmark
Østen Østensen
  Norway
1924 Paris Not held
1928 Amsterdam Not held
1932 Los Angeles Not held
1936 Berlin Not held
1948 London
details
Emil Grünig
  Switzerland
Pauli Janhonen
  Finland
Willy Røgeberg
  Norway
1952 Helsinki
details
Anatoli Bogdanov
  Soviet Union
Robert Bürchler
  Switzerland
Lev Vainshtein
  Soviet Union
1956 Melbourne
details
Vasily Borisov
  Soviet Union
Allan Erdman
  Soviet Union
Vilho Ylönen
  Finland
1960 Rome
details
Hubert Hammerer
  Austria
Hans Rudolf Spillmann
  Switzerland
Vasily Borisov
  Soviet Union
1964 Tokyo
details
Gary Anderson
  United States
Shota Kveliashvili
  Soviet Union
Martin Gunnarsson
  United States
1968 Mexico City
details (mixed)
Gary Anderson
  United States
Valentin Kornev
  Soviet Union
Kurt Müller
  Switzerland
1972 Munich
details (mixed)
Lones Wigger
  United States
Boris Melnik
  Soviet Union
Lajos Papp
  Hungary

Multiple medalists

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Rank Athlete Nation Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Gary Anderson   United States (USA) 1964–1968 2 0 0 2
2 Vasily Borisov   Soviet Union (URS) 1956–1960 1 0 1 2
3 Niels Larsen   Denmark (DEN) 1912–1920 0 1 1 2

Medalists by nation

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Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1   United States (USA) 4 1 1 6
2   Soviet Union (URS) 2 4 2 8
3   Switzerland (SUI) 2 2 1 5
4   Norway (NOR) 1 0 4 5
5   Austria (AUT) 1 0 0 1
  France (FRA) 1 0 0 1
7   Denmark (DEN) 0 3 1 4
8   Finland (FIN) 0 1 1 2
9   Belgium (BEL) 0 0 1 1
  Hungary (HUN) 0 0 1 1

300 m free rifle

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Games Gold Silver Bronze
1896 Athens
details
Georgios Orphanidis
  Greece
Ioannis Frangoudis
  Greece
Viggo Jensen
  Denmark

300 m rifle kneeling

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Games Gold Silver Bronze
1900 Paris
details
Konrad Stäheli
  Switzerland
Emil Kellenberger
  Switzerland
Anders Peter Nielsen
  Denmark
Not awarded

300 m rifle prone

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Games Gold Silver Bronze
1900 Paris
details
Achille Paroche
  France
Anders Peter Nielsen
  Denmark
Ole Østmo
  Norway

300 m rifle standing

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Games Gold Silver Bronze
1900 Paris
details
Lars Jørgen Madsen
  Denmark
Ole Østmo
  Norway
Charles Paumier
  Belgium

300 m rifle team

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Games Gold Silver Bronze
1900 Paris
details
Emil Kellenberger, Franz Böckli, Konrad Stäheli, Louis Richardet, Alfred Grütter
  Switzerland
Ole Østmo, Helmer Hermandsen, Tom Seeberg, Ole Sæther, Olaf Frydenlund
  Norway
Achille Paroche, Auguste Cavadini, Léon Moreaux, Maurice Lecoq, René Thomas
  France
1904 St. Louis Not held
1908 London
details
Julius Braathe, Albert Helgerud, Einar Liberg, Olaf Sæther, Ole Sæther, Gudbrand Skatteboe
  Norway
Per-Olof Arvidsson, Janne Gustafsson, Axel Jansson, Gustaf Adolf Jonsson, Claës Rundberg, Gustav-Adolf Sjöberg
  Sweden
Eugène Balme, Albert Courquin, Raoul de Boigne, Léon Johnson, Maurice Lecoq, André Parmentier
  France
1912 Stockholm
details
Carl Björkman, Erik Blomqvist, Mauritz Eriksson, Hugo Johansson, Gustaf Adolf Jonsson, Bernhard Larsson
  Sweden
Albert Helgerud, Einar Liberg, Østen Østensen, Olaf Sæther, Ole Sæther, Gudbrand Skatteboe
  Norway
Niels Andersen, Jens Hajslund, Laurits Larsen, Niels Larsen, Lars Jørgen Madsen, Ole Olsen
  Denmark
1920 Antwerp
details
Dennis Fenton, Morris Fisher, Willis A. Lee, Carl Osburn, Lloyd Spooner
  United States
Albert Helgerud, Otto Olsen, Østen Østensen, Gudbrand Skatteboe, Olaf Sletten
  Norway
Gustave Amoudruz, Ulrich Fahrner, Fritz Kuchen, Werner Schneeberger, Bernard Siegenthaler
  Switzerland

Multiple medalists

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Rank Athlete Nation Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Ole Sæther   Norway (NOR) 1900, 1908–1912 1 2 0 3
Albert Helgerud   Norway (NOR) 1908–1920 1 2 0 3
Gudbrand Skatteboe   Norway (NOR) 1908–1920 1 2 0 3
4 Gustaf Adolf Jonsson   Sweden (SWE) 1908–1912 1 1 0 2
Einar Liberg   Norway (NOR) 1908–1912 1 1 0 2
Olaf Sæther   Norway (NOR) 1908–1912 1 1 0 2
7 Østen Østensen   Norway (NOR) 1912–1920 0 2 0 2

Medalists by nation

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Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1   Norway (NOR) 1 3 0 3
2   Sweden (SWE) 1 1 0 2
3   Switzerland (SUI) 1 0 1 2
4   United States (USA) 1 0 0 1
5   France (FRA) 0 0 2 2
6   Denmark (DEN) 0 0 1 1

600 m rifle

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Games Gold Silver Bronze
1912 Stockholm
details
Paul Colas
  France
Carl Osburn
  United States
John Jackson
  United States

600 m rifle prone

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Games Gold Silver Bronze
1920 Antwerp
details
Morris Fisher
  United States
Carl Osburn
  United States
Niels Larsen
  Denmark

1000 yd rifle

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Games Gold Silver Bronze
1908 London
details
Joshua Millner
  Great Britain
Kellogg Casey
  United States
Maurice Blood
  Great Britain

References

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  1. ^ Murdock was the first woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting. From 1968 to 1980, the events were open to men and women competing together, before women's events were added in 1984.