Clay pigeon shooting

In clay pigeon shooting, competitors use a shotgun to shoot at clay targets launched by automatic machines. In trap, the clay targets are launched from a pit in front of the shooter, flying away at varying speeds and angles; in skeet, they are launched from two side-mounted launchers and cross the shooter’s field of vision at an angle, with the shooter moving through eight positions along a semicircle. The sport originated in nineteenth-century England and originally involved shooting at live pigeons; from the end of the century, the targets were replaced by clay discs, and the discipline was included in the Olympic programme in 1900. It is one of the sports in which the Mediterranean region dominates: Italy, Spain, France, Greece and Turkey have always been at the top. The competition consists of qualifying rounds — 75 clay pigeons on the first day, 50 on the second — followed by the final, where the score resets to zero and competitors are progressively eliminated. It requires sustained concentration, the ability to read the light and wind, and a consistently identical shooting routine. At the 20th Mediterranean Games in Taranto 2026, clay pigeon shooting will take place from 22 to 27 August at the Torricella municipal shooting range, with five titles up for grabs: men’s and women’s trap and skeet, plus the mixed team trap.

• 1Trap: clay pigeons launched away from a pit. Skeet: clay pigeons fired from two side towers
• 2Qualifying rounds consist of 25-clay series (75 on the first day, 50 on the second)
• 3In the final, the score resets to zero, with shooters being eliminated progressively
• 4Absolute safety: firearms must be open and unloaded outside the shooting range
• 5Five titles up for grabs in Taranto from 22 to 27 August at the TAV in Torricella