Geeks on Sports: London Olympics 2012 – Shooting

Event Dates: Saturday July 28 – Monday August 6

Medal Events: 15

Athletes: 390 ( 223 men / 143 women )

 

 

Geeks on Sports previewer Tim Blacksmith here today to tell you all about Shooting, where you’re not really killing anything.  Wait, what?

 

Courtesy of Getty Images

 

The “sport” of shooting is on par with Archery as a sport that is both dated and not something I have much interest in watching.  I mean, if the competitors were hunting (not live animals) but dangerous robots bent on their destruction, I would probably be in favor of it.  Or if the competition was transformed into something closer to Paintball (and not that sissy crap with the giant balloons, I’m talking straight up in the woods running for your damn life style) then I would be all about it!

 

But alas, we are left with an antiquated sport where the players are using their raw talent and skill to battle gusts of wind that might throw off the trajectory of their projectile weaponry moving at nearly the speed of sound.

The Shooting competition includes three sub-divisions including: pistol, rifle and shotgun.  The pistol and rifle events set competitors against targets at various ranges while in the shotgun event the players are up against fierce clay pigeons!  Spooky.

I mock, sure, but there is of course a high level of precision and skill involved here.  These are the best of the best when it comes to accurate markspeople in the world.  Essentially, the competition is a recruiting frenzy for every black-ops group in the world.

But if you think my mockery is misplaced, check out this quote direct from the London 2012 website; “Shooting is a tense and testing sport that requires immense reserves of skill and nerve. The winning athlete must remain cool under the enormous pressure that an Olympic competition brings.” Wow, seriously?  That’s just ridiculous.  See what I’m talking about?

 

 

If you like markspeopleship and guns then this will be fun, for the rest of us, switch over to beach volleyball and enjoy the scenery.

 

To see where to watch this or your other favorite sports, check out NBC’s coverage in your local area.

 

I hope you have enjoyed this preview of the 2012 London Olympics Shooting event.  Continue to check 8DaysAGeek for more previews of Olympic events.

 

This is Geeks on Sports previewer Tim Blacksmith signing off.

 

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