The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) is are thrilled at shooting’s return to the heart of the Olympic Games. They’re just as excited about this new development as we are! The shooting program ahead of the 2028 Games in Los Angeles looks like a blast, with 15 events! This marks a stark contrast from the last Games in Paris, where shooting events were held 270 kilometers away in Chateauroux.
On Tuesday, local leaders revealed the eventual shooting locations. Target shooting will be contested in a specially built temporary indoor range in Long Beach, and shotgun events will be held at the LA Clays Shooting Sports Park in nearby El Monte. Both venues are located within Los Angeles County, highlighting the sport’s reintroduction to the “heart of the Olympic experience.”
Luciano Rossi, the current ISSF President, articulated his approval of the decision, stating, “I am proud and grateful to see our venues right at the heart of the Olympic experience.” Rossi further looked back on past choices, describing the Chateauroux venue as “a huge blunder” of short-sightedness by his predecessors. This sentiment further emphasizes the need for shooting events to be accessible and visible in the overall Olympic experience.
The 2028 Games will return shooting events to the host city for the first time in more than four decades. This amendment is especially historic as shooting was last featured in the 2024 Games, making it an exhilarating milestone. The reversal not only recognizes the value of shooting as an important Olympic tradition, but showcases the qualities that make the Olympic experience so remarkable.
Rossi took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to trumpet the new venues. He promised to push the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow future editions of shooting events to remain in the hosts’ city. The IOC’s control of the Games is extremely powerful, and no one understands that better than them—forcing changes from Games to Games, city to city. Rossi’s commitment is part of an international effort to raise the profile of shooting sports on the world stage.
The ISSF’s excitement for the upcoming Olympics aligns with a larger trend aimed at revitalizing interest in shooting by placing it within more accessible and prominent settings. This visionary step will help draw new fans and players. Beyond that, it’ll go a long way toward creating a better community around the sport.
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