Ralf Schumann
Encyclopedia
Ralf Schumann (born June 10, 1962) is a German
25 m Rapid Fire Pistol
shooter. He is a three-time Olympic Champion and twice World Champion.
His international breakthrough came in the years before the Seoul Olympics
in 1988, where he was considered the most likely winner. However, he was beaten by Afanasijs Kuzmins
of the Soviet Union
(later Latvia
) by 598 to 597 in the qualification round, and was never allowed to come back in the finals, Kuzmins performing a perfect 100. (In an interview, Ralf quoted his young son's reaction: "Daddy, why didn't you win?")
After this, the targets were changed, lowering results considerably, but Schumann's hegemony has only increased. He won the 1990 World Championships and the 1992 Olympics
. He performed 596 on several occasions before raising the World Record to 597 in 1995 and equalling it in 2000. After the major rule change in 2005, he once again acquired the World record, now of 588 points (later the same year bettered by Sergei Alifirenko
). He also held the pre-2005 final World Record and the Olympic records (from 1996), excelling in the four-second final shooting.
Being the favourite in every competition he enters, it is natural that his failures to win have received some attention. Most notable among these is his performance in the Sydney Olympics
in 2000, when at the prospect of winning his third Olympic gold medal (something no RFP shooter before has managed) he only finished fifth. However, his results since then have proved that this was not the beginning of a long-term decline, and in the Athens Olympics
in 2004, he finally got his third Olympic gold after yet another excellent final.
in Saxony
, he took on pistol shooting in 1977 and was eventually trained at the East German national shooting arena in Suhl
, Thuringia
. He has on several occasions been voted the athlete of the year in Thuringia. He now lives in nearby Stockheim
, Bavaria
. His wife, Anke Völker-Schumann is also a shooter; she joined Ralf in competing at the 1988, 1996, and 2000 Olympics.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
25 m Rapid Fire Pistol
25 m Rapid Fire Pistol
25 metre rapid fire pistol is one of the ISSF shooting events. The event has been a part of the Olympic program ever since the beginning in 1896, although its rules changed greatly before World War II, after which they were only slightly changed until the two major revisions of 1989 and 2005...
shooter. He is a three-time Olympic Champion and twice World Champion.
His international breakthrough came in the years before the Seoul Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in 1988, where he was considered the most likely winner. However, he was beaten by Afanasijs Kuzmins
Afanasijs Kuzmins
Afanasijs Kuzmins is a Latvian shooter who won two Olympic medals in the 25 m Rapid Fire Pistol event; gold at the 1988 for the USSR and silver at the 1992 Summer Olympics for Latvia. He also won the 1986 World Championship in 25 m Standard Pistol...
of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(later Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
) by 598 to 597 in the qualification round, and was never allowed to come back in the finals, Kuzmins performing a perfect 100. (In an interview, Ralf quoted his young son's reaction: "Daddy, why didn't you win?")
After this, the targets were changed, lowering results considerably, but Schumann's hegemony has only increased. He won the 1990 World Championships and the 1992 Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
. He performed 596 on several occasions before raising the World Record to 597 in 1995 and equalling it in 2000. After the major rule change in 2005, he once again acquired the World record, now of 588 points (later the same year bettered by Sergei Alifirenko
Sergei Alifirenko
Sergei Gennadievich Alifirenko is a Russian pistol shooter, originally from Armenia, specializing in the 25 m Rapid Fire Pistol event.He was born in Kirovakan....
). He also held the pre-2005 final World Record and the Olympic records (from 1996), excelling in the four-second final shooting.
Being the favourite in every competition he enters, it is natural that his failures to win have received some attention. Most notable among these is his performance in the Sydney Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in 2000, when at the prospect of winning his third Olympic gold medal (something no RFP shooter before has managed) he only finished fifth. However, his results since then have proved that this was not the beginning of a long-term decline, and in the Athens Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in 2004, he finally got his third Olympic gold after yet another excellent final.
Sponsorships
Ralf has worked as a precision mechanic during his shooting career and his employers have sponsored his competitive shooting by offering Ralf a 3 month paid leave of absence each year to train. He also designed a custom .22 caliber pistol which is sold by Italian manufacturer Pardini.Personal life
Born in MeissenMeissen
Meissen is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrechtsburg castle, the Gothic Meissen Cathedral and the Meissen Frauenkirche...
in Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
, he took on pistol shooting in 1977 and was eventually trained at the East German national shooting arena in Suhl
Suhl
- Geography :Suhl sits on the south edge of the Suhler Scholle, an upthrust granite complex that is streaked by numerous dikes. This is part of the Ruhla-Schleusingen Horst that defines the southwest side of the Thuringian Forest...
, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
. He has on several occasions been voted the athlete of the year in Thuringia. He now lives in nearby Stockheim
Stockheim
Stockheim is a municipality in the district of Kronach in Bavaria in Germany....
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. His wife, Anke Völker-Schumann is also a shooter; she joined Ralf in competing at the 1988, 1996, and 2000 Olympics.
| Olympic results | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 |
| 25 metre rapid fire pistol | Silver Shooting at the 1988 Summer Olympics - Men's 25 metre rapid fire pistol Men's 25 metre rapid fire pistol was one of the thirteen shooting events at the 1988 Summer Olympics. The last Olympic competition on the non-circular target, and the first to feature final shooting, it was won by Afanasijs Kuzmins after a perfect 300 in the first stage, 298 in the second, and two... 597+99 |
Gold Shooting at the 1992 Summer Olympics - Men's 25 metre rapid fire pistol Men's 25 metre rapid fire pistol was one of the thirteen shooting events at the 1992 Summer Olympics. It was the first Olympic rapid fire competition on the new, circular targets, and also the only one in history to feature both a semifinal, consisting of four four-second series for the top eight... 594+195+96 |
Gold Shooting at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Men's 25 metre rapid fire pistol Men's 25 metre rapid fire pistol was one of the fifteen shooting events at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Ralf Schumann defended his title from Barcelona, setting two new Olympic records.-Qualification round:OR Olympic record – Q Qualified for final... 596+102.0 |
5th Shooting at the 2000 Summer Olympics - Men's 25 metre rapid fire pistol -Qualification round:−2p 2 points deducted – DNS Did not start – Q Qualified for final-Final:... 584+99.3 |
Gold 592+102.9 |
Silver 579+200.5 |
See also
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event
- List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games