The shooting events in 1920 contained 21 events, the most in Olympic history. Most of them were contested at Beverloo Camp, which had stationed Belgian soldiers in World War I. Beverloo was 75 kilometres from Antwerp in the northeast corner of Belgium. A shooting range for training Belgian soldiers was there and was used for the Olympic competitions. The range was a rolling, barren ground with many hills and hollows in it. Pyramids were constructed for the shooters so they could see all the targets over the hills and this was where the shooters stood for the contests. There was no tree cover near the range and high winds kept scores quite low. During the matches, the Belgian Corps of Engineers was still busy detonating German grenades in parts of the heath that lay about four kilometres from the shooting stands.
The clay pigeon trapshooting and the running deer shooting events were held at Hoogboom Military Camp in Brasschaat. Brasschaat is a small town about 10 kilometres (6 miles) slightly northeast of Antwerp.
The Americans dominated this sport, winning 13 gold medals and 23 medals in all. In rifle and pistol events, individual and team medals were awarded. In most of them, the shooter could allow his team score to stand for the individual event as well, and most of the shooters did this.
Shooting is the only sport at the 1920 Olympics for which it has been impossible to find complete results. Myriad sources, including newspapers, magazines, sporting experts, national Olympic committees, and national shooting federations, have been researched with some success, but not complete. Still, the results seen below are the most complete ever published.
Event |
Status |
Date |
Participants |
NOCs |
Military Pistol, Team, Men |
Olympic |
3 August 1920 |
46 |
9 |
Free Pistol, 50 metres, Men |
Olympic |
2 August 1920 |
33 |
9 |
Free Pistol, 50 metres, Team, Men |
Olympic |
2 August 1920 |
65 |
13 |
Military Pistol, 30 metres, Men |
Olympic |
3 August 1920 |
13 |
4 |
Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres, Men |
Olympic |
31 July 1920 |
70 |
14 |
Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres, Team, Men |
Olympic |
31 July 1920 |
70 |
14 |
Military Rifle, Prone, 300 metres, Men |
Olympic |
29 – 30 July 1920 |
22 |
7 |
Military Rifle, Prone, 300 metres, Team, Men |
Olympic |
29 July 1920 |
75 |
15 |
Military Rifle, Prone, 600 metres, Men |
Olympic |
29 – 30 July 1920 |
18 |
6 |
Military Rifle, Prone, 600 metres, Team, Men |
Olympic |
29 July – 2 August 1920 |
70 |
14 |
Military Rifle, Standing, 300 metres, Men |
Olympic |
29 – 30 July 1920 |
16 |
7 |
Military Rifle, Standing, 300 metres, Team, Men |
Olympic |
29 July 1920 |
75 |
15 |
Military Rifle, Prone, 300 and 600 metres, Team, Men |
Olympic |
29 July 1920 |
70 |
14 |
Small-Bore Rifle, Standing, 50 metres, Men |
Olympic |
2 August 1920 |
49 |
10 |
Small-Bore Rifle, Standing, 50 metres, Team, Men |
Olympic |
2 August 1920 |
50 |
10 |
Running Target, Single Shot, Men |
Olympic |
27 July 1920 |
12 |
4 |
Running Target, Single Shot, Team, Men |
Olympic |
26 July 1920 |
20 |
4 |
Running Target, Double Shot, Men |
Olympic |
27 July 1920 |
8 |
3 |
Running Target, Double Shot, Team, Men |
Olympic |
26 July 1920 |
20 |
4 |
Trap, Men |
Olympic |
23 – 24 July 1920 |
18 |
7 |
Trap, Team, Men |
Olympic |
22 – 23 July 1920 |
49 |
8 |
Unknown Event, Men |
Olympic |
— |
3 |
2 |
|
|
|
238 (238/0)
|
18 (18/0)
|
Event |
Gold |
Silver |
Bronze |
Military Pistol, Team, Men |
United States | USA |
Greece | GRE |
Switzerland | SUI |
Free Pistol, 50 metres, Men |
Karl Frederick | USA |
Afrânio da Costa | BRA |
Al Lane | USA |
Free Pistol, 50 metres, Team, Men |
United States | USA |
Sweden | SWE |
Brazil | BRA |
Military Pistol, 30 metres, Men |
Guilherme Paraense | BRA |
Ray Bracken | USA |
Fritz Zulauf | SUI |
Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres, Men |
Bud Fisher | USA |
Niels Larsen | DEN |
Østen Østensen | NOR |
Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres, Team, Men |
United States | USA |
Norway | NOR |
Switzerland | SUI |
Military Rifle, Prone, 300 metres, Men |
Otto Olsen | NOR |
Léon Johnson | FRA |
Fritz Kuchen | SUI |
Military Rifle, Prone, 300 metres, Team, Men |
United States | USA |
France | FRA |
Finland | FIN |
Military Rifle, Prone, 600 metres, Men |
Hugo Johansson | SWE |
Mauritz Eriksson | SWE |
Lloyd Spooner | USA |
Military Rifle, Prone, 600 metres, Team, Men |
United States | USA |
South Africa | RSA |
Sweden | SWE |
Military Rifle, Standing, 300 metres, Men |
Carl Osburn | USA |
Lars Jørgen Madsen | DEN |
Larry Nuesslein | USA |
Military Rifle, Standing, 300 metres, Team, Men |
Denmark | DEN |
United States | USA |
Sweden | SWE |
Military Rifle, Prone, 300 and 600 metres, Team, Men |
United States | USA |
Norway | NOR |
Switzerland | SUI |
Small-Bore Rifle, Standing, 50 metres, Men |
Larry Nuesslein | USA |
Arthur Rothrock | USA |
Dennis Fenton | USA |
Smal-Bore Rifle, Standing, 50 metres, Team, Men |
United States | USA |
Sweden | SWE |
Norway | NOR |
Running Target, Single Shot, Men |
Otto Olsen | NOR |
Alf Swahn | SWE |
Harald Natvig | NOR |
Running Target, Single Shot, Team, Men |
Norway | NOR |
Finland | FIN |
United States | USA |
Running Target, Double Shot, Men |
Ole Lilloe-Olsen | NOR |
Fredric Landelius | SWE |
Einar Liberg | NOR |
Running Target, Double Shot, Team, Men |
Norway | NOR |
Sweden | SWE |
Finland | FIN |
Trap, Men |
Mark Arie | USA |
Frank Troeh | USA |
Frank Wright | USA |
Trap, Team, Men |
United States | USA |
Belgium | BEL |
Sweden | SWE |