Thousands attend bicentennial of Swiss Shooting Sport Federation
Over 20,000 shooting fans celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Swiss Shooting Sport Federation (SSV) in Aarau, northern Switzerland, at the weekend. The three-day celebrations ended on Sunday with a parade through the old town of Aarau.
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The SSV celebrated the victory of Chiara Leone, who won a gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris in the women’s 50m rifle three positions competition. Federal Councillor Albert Rösti and the Olympic champion took part in a parade in a carriage through Aarau.
Other Swiss Olympic medal winners in shooting events were also honoured with standing ovations. These included Audrey Gogniat (bronze, Paris 2024) and Nina Christen (gold and bronze, Tokyo 2021).
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The Shooting Sport Federation is not just about sport, said Rösti in a speech at the ceremony on Sunday.
“In Switzerland, shooting is part of society and the state – and an expression of our culture of freedom,” he declared. “I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that one wouldn’t exist without the other.”
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On Saturday, rifle and pistol shooting finals took place with 800 club and amateur athletes competing against experienced shooters.
Translated from German by DeepL/sb
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