ISSF proposes changes to shooting gear to tackle ‘technical doping,’ looks to reset rifle world records in 2026

The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) may take a re-look at world records in rifle events in 2026, having proposed a host of changes to a shooter’s existing clothing during a technical clothing workshop in June in Munich.

In a fresh communication addressed to all national federations on Monday, Alessandro Nicotra di San Giacomo, the ISSF secretary general, wrote, “… current manufactured rifle jackets, trousers, and shoes will still be able to be used by athletes from 2026 onward, although some manipulation and adaptation may well be required to meet ISSF Rules and Regulations (a fresh amendment is to be released on January 1 next year).”

The workshop was held owing to increasing pressure from the ISSF leadership and executive committee to find solutions for perceived ‘technical doping,’ which saw modern rifle shooters seemingly gaining undue advantage owing to the stability being provided by specialised suits that were becoming stiffer and thicker by the day.

Once these changes are brought into practice, world records in rifle events will understandably be reset. How the ISSF plans on doing it, though, is still a mystery. 

Performance enhancers

The said clothing has helped rifle wielders register scores register scores previously unheard of.

The standing world records in qualification rounds of 10m air rifle have presently touched 637.9 for both men (Sheng Lihao, June 2024) and women (Wang Zifei, June 2025). Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the marks were at 633.5 and 634, respectively.

At the Paris Olympics, the cut-off scores to make the eight-athlete finals were 629.8 for men and 631.3 for women. In Tokyo, four years ago, the marks were 629.2 for men and 628.5 for women.

During the 2016 Olympics, where decimal scoring was introduced, the last men’s finalist qualified with a score of 625.5. Although women used to shoot only four series back then, a simple projection would suggest that the cutoff in a six-series event could have been around 623.9.

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With scores like that of 2021, the then eighth-placed shooter in 10m air rifle would have placed 13th or 14th in the men’s event (based on the number of inner-10s) and 16th in the women’s event at the last Summer Games.

Apparel changes

To help mitigate the problem, the ISSF has decided to alter certain specifications of shooting gear.

The stiffness of the jacket in the double-layered area near the shoulder and arms must now be 3.0 mm in 30 seconds instead of the erstwhile 60 seconds. Elsewhere on the coat, only single-thickness canvas is allowed.

A similar rule applies to the trousers—except for areas around the lumbar and lower-back regions, the canvas must be single-layered.

Button overlap tolerance has now been increased by 10 mm to become 80 mm. This will make the jacket slightly looser, especially around the chest.

Shoe flexibility tests during Equipment Control will also become more stringent. High rifle boots are now banned, and only open-ankle kicks will be allowed henceforth.

To compensate for this, however, a cushioning roll of unlimited circumference can now be used during the kneeling position in the 50m 3P event.

“This would require more detailed thought after a period of assessing performance under these new conditions,” noted sport director Peter Underhill.

Rising costs

These alterations are set to get more bang for one’s buck. For starters, it will definitely bring down production costs and, in turn, the retail price—something that has been raising concerns for a while now—in the future.

After all, the price for premium versions of the jackets did go up to INR 1 lakh.

“The costs of this clothing are causing real concern for athletes and their gatekeepers at all levels. Costs were prohibitively high for international teams as well as grassroots shooters aspiring to (reach) elite level,” Underhill said.

“This endangered the growth, as well as the wider well-being, of the discipline. The position is just not sustainable in the future and risks reputational damage to the ISSF.”

However, Nilesh Rane, former shooter and founder of Mumbai-based Capapie Sports, the largest global distributor of rifle apparel, believes otherwise.

He said, “I don’t get it. The jackets range from INR 10,000-70,000. It depends on you which service you want to avail. If I want to go somewhere, I could choose to cover the distance on a two-wheeler or in a Maruti 800 car or maybe a BMW or Bugatti. It is completely my choice.”

Athletes supported by Nilesh won 14 medals in Paris. He added, “You are talking about Olympic sports here and not some village sport or street cricket. You need to compare accordingly. Not everyone goes to the Olympics; it is the grandest stage. There are lower-priced jackets also. Why don’t we talk about rifle costs then?”

The rifle of a professional Olympic shooter may cost anywhere between INR 3-4 lakh, excluding taxes and added attachments.

Penguin-walking

Finally, the newly configured suits may also eradicate penguin-walking—another issue that has lately brought the sport into disrepute—once and for all.

The athletes, clad in hardened suits, did not make for a good show when they waddled in during the introductions.

While the ISSF understood the predicament of the athlete, the implementation of the new rules in 2026 will see the jury become stricter during athlete presentations, employing the yellow card more frequently for penguin-walking during finals.

Despite everything, Nilesh believes the ISSF must have arrived at the decision after duly considering the welfare of the athletes.

“It is an Olympic sport. The walk should seem natural. But here is something that is restricting you. That is the reason they are talking like that, and they have come up with these options. The governing body must have brainstormed on this. They are doing it for the betterment of the sport,” he said.

With all due respect, they have done it in a proper way. It is a big loss for the shooters, though, because they have to start again after shooting such high scores. It is a change, and everybody has to adapt to it.”