At the London 2012 Olympic Games, Italian athletes conquer numerous medals and especially in skeet shooting the gold goes above all to weapons made in Italy.
The success of the Italian athletes Jessica Rossi and Massimo Fabbrizi, respectively gold and silver medalists, at the London 2012 Olympics in clay pigeon shooting, the ANPAM, National Association of Sporting and Civil Weapons and Ammunition Manufacturers - Confindustria, confirms for the third consecutive Olympics the primacy of made in Italy in shooting sports; also in London 2012 the entire medal table of clay pigeons was conquered with Italian rifles, already at the start 90 percent of the 133 athletes of the London Skeet Shooting had chosen Italian weapons and 80 percent had done the same for ammunition .
Rome 7 August 2012 - The London 2012 Olympic Games confirm the third consecutive success of Made in Italy shotguns in clay pigeon shooting, where all 15 medals up for grabs in the 5 specialties were won by holding Italian weapons and using in most cases also tricolor ammunition. After Beijing 2008 and Athens 2004 (when the medals were 6 out of 18 with 18 specialties), the Italian sports arms sector also recorded a full result in London, completed by the enlarged data of the finals, where all 30 admitted (6 per specialty) used Italian rifles.
"I don't know if there is another industrial sector that can boast similar data - commented Nicola Perrotti, president of ANPAM (National Association of Sports and Civil Weapons and Ammunition Manufacturers - Confindustria) - three consecutive Olympics with full medals seems to me a result difficult to match even if we aim to do 4 out of 4 in Rio 2016. Maybe with a few more medals for our athletes who already like this, with Jessica Rossi's Gold and Massimo Fabbrizi's Silver, have given us record-breaking emotions . An expected and hoped-for result for our companies, which nevertheless fills us with satisfaction for the work done and with pride for our country. Knowing that top-level athletes of almost 60 different nationalities rely on our productions, the result of a great tradition and an all-Italian supply chain, should be a source of pride for everyone. We have shown once again - concluded Perrotti - that in skeet shooting those who want to win rely on Italian weapons and ammunition, we hope that in Italy this figure will emerge every time we talk about sporting weapons and not just every four years ".
The numbers
Italian sporting weapons and London 2012 - At the London 2012 Olympics, all 15 medals up for grabs in the five shooting disciplines (Skeet Male and Female, Double Trap Male, Trap or Olympic Pit Male and Female) were won with Italian shotguns. Full result also for the finals, with all 30 qualified athletes (6 per specialty) using Made in Italy shotguns. For ammunition, the figure is lower but in any case it sees us as the first supplier country ever.
Of the 133 skeet shooting athletes present in London, coming from 59 countries, 90 percent had chosen Made in Italy rifles, and 80 percent had done the same for ammunition. In particular, the Trap and Double Trap athletes have all chosen Italian products. Athletes competing: Trap - 56, of which 34 men and 22 women, Double Trap - 24 men only, Skeet - 53, of which 36 men and 17 women.
Italian sporting weapons and the history of Olympic medals - The excellence of shotguns produced in Italy has a historical link with the skeet shooting medals, here are some data of the victories in the last five editions:
Beijing 2008 Olympics: 15 medals out of 15 were won with Italian rifles by athletes of 10 different nationalities, for ammunition we are 10 out of 15
Athens Olympics 2004: 18 medals out of 18 were won with Italian rifles by athletes of 13 different nationalities, for ammunition we are 14 out of 18
Sydney 2000 Olympics: 16 medals out of 18 are won with Italian rifles
Atlanta 1996 Olympics: 11 medals out of 12 are won with Italian rifles
Italian FITAV supplier companies
Shotguns
- PERAZZI
- BERETTA
- RIZZINI
Ammunition
- BOWS
- BASCHIERI & PELLAGRI
- ASK
- NOBEL SPORT ITALIA
Some data from the Italian sports arms sector (Source: research carried out in 2011 by the University of Urbino, Faculty of Economics): Italy is the leading European producer of sporting-hunting weapons (covering approximately 60% of the entire Community supply) and is the most important exporting country in the world of sporting, commercial and ammunition weapons: exports in fact reach 90% of production, particularly in the USA (about 45%). There are few sectors that can boast an import-export scale with these values.
The sector in the strict sense (producers and suppliers) is made up of: 2.264 companies, 11.358 employees and a value of production (turnover) of 486.338.624 euros. The sector is made up of small and medium-sized companies (excluding a couple of medium-large companies for arms and one for ammunition), very often of family origin. It is a sector that is based on a supply chain that combines excellences and traditions of an artisanal and artistic type (think of the engravers) and technological avant-garde structures.
Our productions are based on a great specialization - says Nicola Perrotti, president of the Anpam - which means a stable workforce with an all-Italian generating fulcrum: our industry imports only some raw materials, while it exports 90% of what it produces. We are a solid sector, capable of facing foreign competitors head-on like very few others can do in Italy ”.
ANPAM press office