How does the 25 m pistol event work?

• Precision stage: six series of five shots, 240 seconds for each series.
• Rapid fire stage: six series of five shots. In each series the target is shown five times for 3 seconds, with 7 seconds between showings, and one shot only is fired at each showing. With electronic targets, green and red lights replace the turning target.
• The ready position: before each shot of the rapid fire stage the athlete must lower the arm to the ready position. The pistol must not rest on the bench during a series.
• Order: every athlete must finish the precision stage before the rapid fire stage begins.
• Sighting: one sighting series of five shots before each stage, after three minutes of preparation time.
• Loading: on the command "LOAD" the athlete has one minute to load no more than five cartridges.
• Two targets: the precision stage uses a target with a 50 mm ten ring. The rapid fire stage uses a target with a 100 mm ten ring and scoring rings from 10 down to 5 only.
• Scoring: full rings.
• The pistol: a 5.6 mm (.22) rimfire pistol that is not a single-shot pistol, weighing no more than 1400 g, with a trigger pull of at least 1000 g.
• To the final: the top eight, in the women's event and the women's junior event.

The rule book lists 25 m pistol for women with the status "Olympic". Men shoot the same programme as juniors, and as 25 m centre fire pistol with a pistol or revolver of 7.62 mm to 9.65 mm calibre.

The two stages test opposite skills with one pistol: slow, exact shooting and a quick shot from a lowered arm. Showing the target for three seconds at a time fixes the pace for everyone, so no athlete can turn the rapid fire stage into a second precision stage.