The 51st ISSF World Championship in all Shooting events has been officially closed at the CEAR Juan Carlos I shooting range of Las Gabias, Granada, Spain, this evening.
Over 2000 athletes from 94 countries – for a total of almost 4000 starts - competed in 15 Olympic Shooting events and 39 non-Olympic events there from the 6th through the 19th of September.
The ISSF World Championship in all Shooting events takes place every four years (last: Munich, Germany, 2010; next: Changwon, Republic of Korea, 2018), and it's the major competition organized by the International Shooting Sport Federation.
Sixty-four Olympic Quota places were distributed by the ISSF to the top finalists during the event, which opened the qualification path leading to Rio 2016 (list of the awarded quotas).
The People's Republic of China finished atop of the overall medal standings, with an impressive tally of 44 medals (19 Gold, 16 Silver, 9 Bronze including also Junior and Team events). Germany followed in second place with 25 medals (15 Gold, 6 Silver, 4 Bronze) while the Russian Federation took the third place with 9 Gold, 13 Silver and 18 Bronze, for a total of 40 medals (complete medal standings).
Ten new world records were established and 3 world records were equalled in senior events. Junior athletes also gave their best, setting 13 new world records and 6 new final world records
During today's Closing Ceremony, the Royal Spanish Shooting Federation returned the ISSF flag to the ISSF President Olegario Vazquez Raña, who then handed it to the representatives of the Korea Shooting Federation and of the city of Changwon, where the 52nd ISSF World Championship will be held in 2018.
The ISSF President Olegario Vazquez Raña said: “This ISSF World Championship in Granada has been a great sport event: we've witnessed excellent competitions, and extraordinary results scored by our athletes.”
“The new finals introduced after the 2012 Olympic Games brought drama and emotion into our sport. The atmosphere during the competitions, here in Granada, has been great.”
For the first time in the history of the International Shooting Sport Federation, junior finals were staged during this championship. And this is just the beginning, according to the ISSF President: “Junior finals are a step forward for our sport, and a great opportunity for the young athletes. I will propose to establish a new separate Junior World Championships, a competition completely dedicated to the youth.” Mr. Olegario Vazquez Raña concluded.
“This Championship has been a festival for our sport.” The ISSF Secretary General Franz Schreiber said. “We are looking forward to the 52nd ISSF World Championship in all Shooting events that will be held in Changwon in four years.”
The Wolrd Championship is over, but the ISSF Shooting Sport season continues: the best shooters of the world are now heading to Gabala, Azerbaijan, where the 2014 ISSF World Cup Final in Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun events will be held from the 21st through the 28th of October. There, Granada's medallists will meet the world cup title defenders and the top performers of this year's world cup series, aiming at the 2014 ISSF World Cup Title.