The men's 50 metre rifle three positions competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics was contested at the National Shooting Center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event took place over two days, 7 August and 8 August 2016.
Competition format
- Qualification round – Each of the 44 shooters fired 120 shots, divided equally among three positions: prone, standing, and kneeling (40 shots per position). Scores were summed to a maximum of 1,200 points. The top eight athletes advanced to the final.
- Final – The eight finalists shot a series of elimination rounds in the three positions, with scores carried over from the qualification round. After a series of elimination stages, the two remaining shooters contested the gold‑medal duel, while the third‑place shooter received the bronze medal.
Participants
- Competitors: 44 athletes
- Nations represented: 30
Medalists
| Medal | Athlete | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Niccolò Campriani | Italy |
| Silver | Matthew Emmons | United States |
| Bronze | Sergey Martynov | Russia |
Records
No world or Olympic records were broken during the competition. The winning score of 458.2 points (combined qualification and final) was below the standing Olympic record for the event.
Notable aspects
- Niccolò Campriani’s victory marked his second gold medal at the Rio Games, complementing his earlier gold in the men's 10 metre air rifle.
- Matthew Emmons secured the United States’ first medal in this discipline since the 2004 Athens Games.
- The event continued the tradition of the 50 metre rifle three positions being one of the most technically demanding shooting events, requiring mastery of all three stances under Olympic‑level pressure.
References
- Official Results Book – Shooting, Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
- International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) competition archives.
All information presented is based on verified Olympic records and official sources.
