This year’s district championships in Saalfelden saw a record 96 shooters competing across various categories. Notable performances included Jonas Steinberger and Emilia Lemberger winning in the Youth I category, while the senior classes featured intense competition, with Rosemarie and Georg Schachner taking gold in Senior IIA. The Mittersill shooting guild dominated the event, securing a total of seven gold medals, marking a significant resurgence in their competitive prowess.
Record Participation at the District Championships
This year’s district championships for sports shooters set a remarkable record with 96 competitors participating at the largest shooting sports facility in Saalfelden.
Exciting Performances Across All Classes
From youth to senior classes, every point was fiercely contested to crown the district champions in both air pistol and air rifle categories. The impressive turnout in the senior divisions underscores that shooting sports remain a viable and competitive option even for seasoned athletes. Traditionally, the youth classes kicked off the event, showcasing remarkable talents. In the Youth I category, where participants can shoot with assistance, Jonas Steinberger from Zell stood out with an impressive score of 202.8 rings, securing first place ahead of the Mittersill brothers, Pius and Magnus Wallner. The girls’ title was claimed by Emilia Lemberger from Mittersill, who demonstrated her skills with a score of 195.8 rings. Silver was awarded to the youngest competitor, 7-year-old Mia Steinberger from Zell am See. In the team competition, the defending champions from Mittersill emerged victorious over teams from Zell am See and Saalfelden. In the Youth II category, Maximilian Klammer from Mittersill climbed to the top as anticipated, finishing ahead of Alexander Mauch from Zell and Samuel Nothdurfter from Mittersill.
The competition in the senior classes was equally thrilling, with intense battles for coveted medals. In the Senior IIA class, gold was clinched by the dynamic duo, Rosemarie and Georg Schachner from Maishofen. Silver also went to a couple, Ulrike and Fred Kirchner from Kaprun. In Senior III, Rosemarie Schwaiger surprised everyone with her stellar performance of 417.9, outperforming her club mate Erna Handl. Inspired by her success, Hermann Schachner also secured a title for Saalfelden, as local shooters dominated this class by claiming five out of six individual medals, along with gold and silver in the team category. Showcasing world-class talent, Olympic participant Gernot Rumpler confidently took the top title, while Florian Weiß from Zell earned silver, and Daniel Herzog from Saalfelden delivered a surprising bronze performance. Eva Maria Schober from Saalfelden stood out among the women.
In the increasingly popular supported shooters’ class, two newcomers made a significant impact. Christine Brennsteiner from Mittersill showcased her prowess by finishing ahead of favored competitors Rosemarie Schachner and Manuela Hutter from Kaprun. On the men’s side, Karl Egger from Kaprun seized the opportunity to triumph over Alfred Kirchner (Kaprun) and the host, Peter Exenberger from Saalfelden. The team title in this category also went to Mittersill.
In the air pistol segment, Stefan Kendler from Saalfelden successfully defended his title from the previous year, finishing well ahead of Gerald Fischer (Saalfelden). In Senior II, a nail-biting finish saw Toni Egger from Mittersill claim victory by a single ring over Norbert Marktl from Kaprun. The women’s supported shooters’ class was even more thrilling, as the top two competitors recorded identical scores, necessitating a count of inner ten rings to determine the winner. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on the side of the Kaprun competitors, with Wiltrud Berka narrowly missing out to Michaela Kaufmann from Zell. In the men’s supported shooters’ class, Erwin Matiasch from Kaprun secured a convincing win over Salzburg shooting veteran Georg Troger.
With a total of 7 gold medals, the shooting guild from Mittersill topped the medal table at this year’s district championships, signaling a return to their golden era.