Women in Olympic shooting

Margaret Thompson Murdoch’s silver victory at the 1976 Games in three positions made her the first ever shooter to win an Olympic medal. The event was open, meaning that men and women competed against each other.

Murdock’s success preceded the introduction of three separate events for women at the 1984 Los Angeles Games: women’s air rifle, women’s three-position rifle, and sporting pistol. That year, American women’s air rifle shooter Pat Spergin became the first ever shooter to win Olympic gold. Ruby Fox (pistol) and Wanda Jewell (rifle) also won medals for the United States that year.

Since 1984, the number of female participants has increased dramatically, and now the number of women is growing twice as fast as men. Separate air pistol events for men and women were added to the 1988 Seoul Games. And for the first time in history, a women’s smoothbore shooting event, double trap, would join the Olympic program in 1996.

US International Shooting Hall of Fame

Few people know this, but American shooters have won more Olympic gold medals than athletes in all sports except track and field and swimming. The U.S. International Shooting Hall of Fame is designed to give the athletes who started this powerful dynasty the recognition they deserve.

“These are people who really made a mark on the history of shooting, people who knew how to win and did it consistently,” said USST Director Lones Wigger. “Membership in the Hall of Fame is the greatest tribute we can pay today for yesterday’s achievements.”

Those inducted before and after 1948 are reviewed annually by the NRA’s International Competition Committee and the living Hall of Fame. Shooters are eligible for induction into the Hall five years after their final international competition.

To be elected, 75 percent of the ballots must be cast. In each category, if no candidate receives 75 percent of the votes, the highest vote-getter is inducted into the Hall of Fame.