Fittingly, Petersson marked the start of the Championships with a gun salute using antique firearms from the local Waffen museum.

This came at the end of an Opening Ceremony that had also featured dancing, local music and an introduction to the tournament mascot, Suhly the Fox, before the athletes paraded to loud cheers from the crowd in the Platz der Deutschen Einheit.

"Even before a shot has been fired, this event has already made the record books, and has the potential to be the best World Championships ever," Petersson announced.

"This sport has made significant progress in recent times and the biggest contributor to this success has been the athletes whose performances continue to inspire and excite the world."

"Since London 2012, participation has continued to soar and an improved competition programme has created more opportunities for athletes to compete at an international level."

Jonas Jakobsson is seeking to add to his illustrious shooting medal haul in Suhl
©Getty Images



The eight-day competition will begin tomorrow and will see a number of top athletes starting their quest to be crowned world champion.

Among these will be the 17-time Paralympic gold medallist Jonas Jakobsson, who will nonetheless face a stiff challenge in the R1 10 metre air rifle SH1 event from the likes of China's London 2012 gold medallist Chao Dong and Germany's world champion Josef Neumaier.

Neumaier will be hoping for home support to inspire him to victory.

In the equivalent women's event, Slovakia's Veronika Vadovicova appears the shooter to beat after imperious form on the World Cup circuit, although there will once again be a strong Chinese challenge courtesy of reigning Paralympic champion Cuiping Zhang.

New Zealand's Michael Johnson, meanwhile, will be looking to retain world title in the mixed 50m rifle prone SH2 event, ahead of Ukrainian European champion Pavlo Volynets.

Julius Beucher, President of the German National Paralympic Committee, added: "Two hundred and sixty five athletes from 53 countries will meet in Suhl to demonstrate their skills but also to provide observers with an insight into the potential and likely future of Para-shooting.

"All sport shooters are aware that consistently successful results in this discipline are only possible through a combination of concentration and precision, self-control and team spirit, long hours of training, technical understanding and skills."

Fifty-five countries will be represented at the event with organiserseceiving a record number of female entries.

The quadrennial event is due to end on Saturday July 26. 

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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