Skeet shooting is shooting from stations with shotguns attempting to break clay targets flung into the air from special station.
Skeet shooting is one of the types of shooting sport, which is closely related to hunting. When hunting and possession of a gun lost its first destintaion and turned into a fascinating hobby, the shooters continued to practice, shooting at thrushes, swallows and even bats. Pigeons were the main target.
In the 18th century the so-called “hunters' hunting clubs” had arisen in European cities. Pigeons were hidden in the holes covered with hats. The attendant tugged at the lace tied to the hat, and the living target flew into the air.
Shooting pigeons. Source: http://sportsgroup.ru
In 1880 clay plates called “play pigeon” were proposed as targets. The machine for throwing plates into the air was also invented.
Despite the fact artificial targets were widely used, pigeon shooting was included in the programme of the 1900 Olympics. Subsequently the International Olympic Committee condemned this type of shooting as inhuman and excluded it from the competition.
Проведение соревнований по стендовой стрельбе контролирует Международная федерация спортивной стрельбы (International Sport Shooting Federation, ISSF).
Holding of the skeet shooting competitions is controlled by the International Sport Shooting Federation (ISSF).
”Skeet” Source: https://www.m24.ru
Compak Sporting Source: https://popgun.ru
Sporting became a popular form of shotgun shooting: it’s a skeet shooting with an unpredictable trajectory of motion that simulates the flight of birds and the running of animals. Its variation is compact sporting (shooting in a confined space).
Sporting competitions are held under the auspices of the International Federation of Shooting and Hunting Sports (fr. Federation Internationale de Tir Aux Sportives de Chasse, FITASC).
The development of skeet shooting in the BSSR is closely related to the name of the enthusiast of this sport, Dmitry Kukhto. He coached Belarusian shooters, who successfully performed in the framework of the teams of the BSSR and the USSR. Vadim Vetokhin, who established in the 1960s several records of the USSR is one of his trainees.
Dmitry Kukhto with young athletes. Source: “Belarus Sportivnaja” Album
Andrey Kovalenko. Source: “Belarus Sportivnaja” Album
He repeatedly became USSR champion and European championship winner. Gennady Galkin and Alexander Molchanov, as well as Alexander Androshkin, participant of the 1972, 1976 Olympics, 1973 world champion in the trap discipline, repeatedly became champions of the USSR and winners of the championships.
In the 1980s Andrei Kovalenko started his sports career. In 1981 he became the winner of the USSR Skeet Championship.
Skeet shooting develops mainly in Minsk, as well as in the Brest and Gomel regions.
Since the 2000s the material base for this sport is rapidly improving. During this time, there were open:
- the “Zolotoj Fazan” shooting complex in the Zhabinka district of the Brest region;
- shooting station in Vetka district of the Gomel region;
- the “Sporting Club” in Minsk.
In 2017 a competition for the Vyacheslav Porukov Cup, the oldest athlete of Belarus, was held in the Vetka district of the Gomel region.
Vyacheslav Porukov. Source: https://gp.by
Vyacheslav Porukov and competitors in the Vetka district. Source: https://gp.by
The competition for the Vadim Vetokhin Cup, is hold annually in the “Sporting Club”. Vadim Vetokhin is a famous coach, World Class Master of Sports of the USSR in skeet shooting. The Open Cup of the Republic of Belarus, the Championship of the Belarusian Clay Target Shooting Federation and many other competitions also take place. The club hosted the European Compact Sporting Championship and the final of the World Clay Shooting World Cup.
Sporting Club is the Olympic Training Center of the team of Belarus of skeet shooting.
Source: Sporttime magazine
A lot of effort was applied by Andrei Gerashchenko, the champion of Belarus in skeet shooting, the participant of the 2008 Olympics and World Championships.
Skeet shooting fans know well the achievements of the participant of the 2012 Olympics, the winner of Belarusian championships, Andrei Kovalenko, and European championships winner Yuri Stolypin.
Andrei Gerashchenko. Source: https://www.sb.by
Andrey Kovalenko. Source: https://www.kalashnikov.ru
Viktor Lisovsky, Sergey Zhuravlyov, Vladimir Furman, Angela Khmelevskaya, Vladimir Korovinsky, Victor Timoshenko, Dmitry Baranov, Valery Kukobako and many other athletes participate in various national and world-class competitions.
In 2018 the International Compak Sporting tournament among force structures for the prizes of the President of the Republic of Belarus was held at the MIA’s shooting range near Minsk.
In 2000 the “Belarusian Clay Target Shooting Federation” public association was founded (https://bfss.by/). In 2010 the federation joined the International Shooting Sport Federation. It cooperates with the Belarusian Federation to held numerous competitions.
