At the recent ES
C European Airgun Championships a new experimental competition format was trialled. Called 'Top Gun', the format was run in the form of a President's prize featuring twenty of the top Air Pistol shooters in Europe; both Men and Women. A high level of spectator involvement was encouraged including supplying the assembled crowd with all kinds of noise making devices and loud music playing on the PA system during shooting. In addition, the shooters were all fitted with heart rate monitors which added a further dimension to the the competition.
The format is not unlike a final except that twenty competitors take part and initially the time allowed is just 45 seconds per shot compared to 75 seconds in a final. The competition runs as a knockout with the lowest scoring shooters being dropped after each round (two after the first round), the time limit is then reduced to 30 seconds when ten shooters have been knocked out. The competition continues until only one shooter (the winner) is left.
The attached Eurosport clip from the ESC website shows the entire competition from the shooting centre in Meraker, Norway.
