Wikipedia

Sergey Richter

Sergey Richter (Hebrew: סרגיי ריכטר; Ukrainian: Сергій Ріхтер; born 23 April 1989) is an Olympic sport shooter.[3] Born in Ukraine, he represents Israel internationally.

Sergey Richter
Richter in 2012
Personal information
Native nameСергій Ріхтер
סרגיי ריכטר‎
NicknameSerjo[1]
NationalityIsraeli
Born (1989-04-23) 23 April 1989 (age 35)
Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Weight83 kg (183 lb)[2]
Sport
CountryIsrael
SportSport shooting
Event10 metre air rifle
ClubMaccabi Ra'anana Shooting Club[1]
Coached byGuy Starik and Yevgeni Aleinikov
Medal record
Men's shooting
Representing  Israel
European Games
Gold medal – first place 2019 Minsk Men's 10m Air Rifle
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Baku Men's 10m Air Rifle
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2013 Odense Men's 10m Air Rifle
Gold medal – first place 2022 Hamar Mixed 10m Air Rifle
Silver medal – second place 2021 Osijek Men's 10m Air Rifle
Silver medal – second place 2023 Tallinn Mixed 10m Air Rifle
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Wrocław Men's 10m Air Rifle

He shares the junior world record in the 10 metre air rifle, and was the 2009 ISSF World Cup champion. He competed on behalf of Israel at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, for Israel at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and for Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He won the gold medals in the 2013 European Championship and the 2022 European Championship, and was named European Champion at 10m. He won a bronze medal at the 2015 European Games for Israel, and the gold medal at the 2019 European Games for Israel in the Men's 10m Air Rifle. He is a nine-time Israeli air rifle champion. Richter represented Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics in Men's 10 metre air rifle, and came in 33rd.

Early and personal life

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Richter was born in Kharkiv in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union, immigrated with his family to Bat Yam, Israel when he was a six-year-old boy in 1996, and has lived in Rehovot and Kfar Saba, Israel.[4][5][6][7][8] He is Jewish and an Israeli citizen.[9][10] Richter attended Wizo High School, in Rehovot.[1] When his parents were young, his mother, Svetlana, was a figure skater and his father, Alexander, was a wrestler.[6][7] In 2011, his father developed colon cancer.[11] He said: "It was terrible. It is impossible to describe in words how difficult it is to deal with when it is at your home... In my conversations with him, he asked me not to stop and continue in the sport, but it was very difficult for me."[11] He is married to Natalie whom he married after the Rio Olympic Games, and he and his wife have twin girls.[5][11]

Shooting career

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A typical 10 m match air rifle

Richter began shooting in 2002, at 13 years of age, as part of a Gadna (Israel Defense Forces youth corps) program.[9][12] He then trained with Hapoel Rehovot.[12]

Richter trains at the Herzliya firing range, and is now a member of Maccabi Ra'anana.[9][12] He is right-handed, and his "master eye" is his right eye.[13] He is coached by Israeli three-time Olympian Guy Starik and Yevgeni Aleinikov.[9][12][1][14] His club is Maccabi Ra'anana Shooting Club.[1]

2003–12; Early years

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Richter won a gold medal at 20 years of age at the 10 metre air rifle men's final of the 2009 ISSF World Cup in Munich, Germany.[15][16][17]

His qualification score of 599 points out of 600 was one point short of the world record, and tied the junior world record.[18][15][19] Richter won with 701.7 points.[15] It was only his first shot that was not perfect.[6][7] Richter said after the match: “This is exciting, I did not expect to finish on the highest step of the podium. This is my fourth time in an international competition!”[15] In the 2006 10m Air Rifle Men Junior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, he came in 4th, with a score of 591.[8][5] He was signed to the German shooting team Kolber that same year.[12]

In February 2010, Richter won the gold medal in the IWK Air Gun competition men's 10 metre air rifle match in Munich, Germany.[20] In June 2010, he came in fourth in the men's 10 metre air rifle final at the 2010 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Belgrade, Serbia, missing the bronze medal by one-tenth of a point.[21] In June 2011, he was ranked fifth in the world by the ISSF.[12]

Richter competed in the September 2011 ISSF World Cup final in the men's 10 metre air rifle.[22] He received a two-point deduction for being late to the final, which moved him down from second and a silver medal, to seventh place.[23] He won a silver medal at the 2011 Changwon, South Korea, World Cup, with 597 points, becoming the first Israeli athlete to qualify for the London Olympics.[9][12]

In April 2012, Richter won the silver medal in the 2012 Shooting World Cup in London, in men's 10 metre air rifle.[8] His 701.1 points were a personal record.[24]

2012 London Olympics

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Richter competed on behalf of Israel at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London in men's 10 metre air rifle, having qualified by earning a quota place.[25][26] He missed the finals by one point, coming in 9th out of 30 competitors, with 8 shooters making it into the final.[27][28] After the Olympics, he planned to complete his military service, and to study graphic design.[12]

2013–16; European champion

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In March 2013, Richter won a gold medal in the European Championship in Odense, Denmark, and was named European Champion at 10 m.[29][30] In April 2013, he won a silver medal at a 2013 World Cup tournament in Changwon, South Korea, in 10m Air Rifle.[29][31] In 2013 and 2014 he also won bronze medals at World Cup tournaments in Fort Benning, Georgia.[31]

On 16 June 2015, he took the bronze medal at the 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, for Israel in the Men's 10m Air Rifle.[32]

At the 2016 Baku World Cup, Richter won a bronze medal in 10m Air Rifle individual.[8]

2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics

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Richter competed for Israel at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He came in 14th out of 30 competitors in the Men's 10-meter air rifle competition with a score of 623.28 points, and coming in 15th out of 30 competitors with a score of 622.6 in the Men's 50m rifle prone competition.[33][34]

2019–20; European Games champion

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On 24 June 2019, Richter took the gold medal at the 2019 European Games in Minsk, Belarus, for Israel in the Men's 10m Air Rifle.[35]

At the 2020 European Championship in Wroclaw, Poland, Richter won a bronze medal in the 10m Air Rifle individual.[8]

2020 Tokyo Olympics (in 2021)

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Richter competed for Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics in July 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Richter finished 27th out of 47 competitors in the Men's 10 metre air rifle with a score of 624.5.[8]

2021–22; European championship

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At the 2021 European Championship in Osijek, Croatia, Richter won a silver medal in the 10m Air Rifle individual.[8] As of July 2021, he was ranked 8th in the world by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF).[36]

At a World Cup in Rio de Janeiro in 2022, Richter won a silver medal in 10m Air Rifle Men.[8] At the 2022 Changwon World Cup, he won a bronze medal in 10m Air Rifle individual and a bronze medal in Mixed Team.[8] At the 2022 Granada Grand Prix, he won the gold medal in 10m Air Rifle individual.[8] In the 2022 European Championships 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team, he won the gold medal in Hamar, Norway, while coming in fourth in the individual.[8]

2023; Withdrawal from Indonesia competition

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In 2023, Richter withdrew from an international competition in Jakarta, Indonesia, after the ISSF refused to allow him to compete with any symbols representing Israel.[37][38] His rifle is engraved with the Israeli flag and the letters ISR.[39] The Israeli Shooting Association told the Indonesian organizers: "Either we participate with a flag, or all the other countries participate without a flag just like us."[39] In order to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, athletes are required to compete in a series of four World Cup meets, of which Jakarta was the first in this cycle. Reportedly, World Cup organizers informed Richter and the Israeli federation they would only allow him to participate with his weapon if he competes with identification symbols of the ISSF or the flag of the International Olympic Committee. Richter rebuffed the ISSF and chose not to compete in the World Cup, in part stating:

I will never accept to participate in a competition without the [IOC Country Code] ISR on my competition suit, on my personal rifle and on the results screen…I start the most important year on the way to Paris, when my opponents take a professional advantage over me due to political problems. If the Olympic movement, which advocates the existence of sports without distinctions of nationality, religion, race and sex, does not support its ideology, then what is its value? I don't understand how the state is allowed to organize some sort of competition with a national identity restriction. If there was a competition in Israel, and we boycotted some country - oh my - all the athletes would stand up and go out in a protest.[38][39]

At the world championships in 2023 in Baku, Richter came in 4th in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team, and 17th in the 10m Air Rifle Men.[8] At the 2023 European Championship in Tallinn, Estonia, Richter won a silver medal in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team, and came in 4th in the individual.[8] At the 2023 Rio de Janeiro World Cup, he won a bronze medal in 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team.[8] At the 2023 Cairo World Cup, he came in 4th in 10m Air Rifle individual.[8]

2024–present; Paris Olympics

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At the 2024 Ruse, Bulgaria Grand Prix, he won the silver medal in the 10m Air Rifle individual.[8] As of June 2024, Richter was a nine-time Israeli air rifle champion.[40]

Richter represented Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics in Men's 10 metre air rifle. He ranked 13th in the Olympic rankings prior to the competition.[41] He came in 33rd with a score of 626.4.[42][43][41]

Current world record in 10 m air rifle

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Current world records held in 10 m Air Rifle
Junior Men Individual 599   Cheon Min-ho (KOR)
  Zhu Qinan (CHN)
  Zhu Qinan (CHN)
  Sergey Richter (ISR) 		24 April 2004
16 August 2004
30 October 2004
16 May 2009 		Athens (GRE)
Athens (GRE)
Bangkok (THA)
Munich (GER) 		edit

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Baku 2015 1St European Games – Athletes – RICHTER Sergey". Baku 2015. Archived from the original on 24 June 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ a b "Summer Olympics Bio - Sergey Richter". ESPN.
  3. ^ "European Championship 10m; Brescia, Italy, 1.3.2011 – 7.3.2011" (PDF). echbrescia2011.it. 2 March 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  4. ^ "אחרי שש שנים: הקלע האולימפי סרגיי ריכטר חזר לישראל". 25 November 2022.
  5. ^ a b c ""ראיון השבוע": עם הקלע האולימפי סרגיי ריכטר – Israel Olympics".
  6. ^ a b c "הכירו את היורש של גיא סטריק - סרגיי ריכטר". ONE - מספר אחת בספורט. 20 August 2009.
  7. ^ a b c "Sergey Richter". Olympedia.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Sergey Richter". International Shooting Sport Federation.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Portrait of the shooter; Rikhter, Sergy – ISR". International Shooting Sport Federation. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  10. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 December 2003. Retrieved 22 November 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ^ a b c ""הרגע ששינה את חיי" עם הקלע האולימפי סרגיי ריכטר – Israel Olympics".
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h Talshir, Uri (23 October 2011). "Aiming high; In Germany, Sergei Richter is an Israeli hero. In Israel, he's a Ukrainian nobody - despite clinching the first ticket to London 2012". Haaretz. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  13. ^ "ISSF". International Shooting Sport Federation. 26 March 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2011.[permanent dead link‍]
  14. ^ Neria Jerafi (27 May 2013). "Shooter Richter Sets Olympics in His Sights After Euro Triumph; 'It's something I have been waiting for since I started competing,' Richter tells Haaretz". Haaretz.
  15. ^ a b c d Marco Dalla Dea (16 May 2009). "Air Rifle Men – Rikhter brought Israel's flag on the podium". Shooting. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  16. ^ "Chinese Shooters Suffer Mini-Waterloo in Munich World Cup". cri.cn. 17 May 2009. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  17. ^ "10m Air Rifle Men". International Shooting Sport Federation. 16 May 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  18. ^ "Introducing Israel's Olympians: Sergey Richter". The Jerusalem Post. 10 July 2012.
  19. ^ "ISSF World Cup Munich: medal standings and records". Archerfish.org. 20 May 2009. Archived from the original on 23 May 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2011.[full citation needed]
  20. ^ "IWK in Munich – The Rifle and Pistol season starts from here". Archerfish.org. 6 February 2010. Archived from the original on 4 February 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2011.[full citation needed]
  21. ^ MDD (28 June 2010). "10m Air Rifle Men – Campriani claimed Gold". International Shooting Sport Federation. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  22. ^ "ISSF World Cup Final; 10m Air Rifle Men; Wroclaw" (PDF). 22 September 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  23. ^ "Zhu set a new 10m Air Rifle Men final world record". International Shooting Sport Federation. 22 September 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  24. ^ Aharoni, Oren (22 April 2012). "Israeli sharpshooter wins World Cup silver". Ynet.
  25. ^ Lancman, Rory (17 July 2011). "Israeli swimmers earn a spot at 2012 Summer Olympics". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  26. ^ "ISSF World Cup Changwon: Day 1". USA Shooting. 9 April 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  27. ^ "Israeli Swimmer Sets National Record at Olympics". The Algemeiner. 30 July 2012.
  28. ^ "Olympics-Men's shooting 10m air rifle qualification results". Reuters. 30 July 2012.
  29. ^ a b Aaron Kallman (4 April 2013). "Israeli marksman snags silver medal". The Times of Israel.
  30. ^ "Israeli sharpshooter wins gold in Europe". The Times of Israel. 1 March 2013.
  31. ^ a b "ISSF". International Shooting Sport Federation.
  32. ^ "Second gold for Belarus at Baku 2015 European Games". belta.by. 16 June 2015. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015.
  33. ^ "Shooting-Men's 50m rifle prone qualification results". Reuters. 12 April 2016.
  34. ^ Allon Sinai (August 8, 2016). "Israeli judoka Sagi Muki one win away from Olympic medal", The Jerusalem Post
  35. ^ "European Games 2019 Day 4: As it happened". olympicchannel.com.
  36. ^ "ROAD TO TOKYO – ISRAEL'S RICHTER HAS OLYMPIC PODIUM IN CROSSHAIRS". eurolympic.org/. 6 July 2021.
  37. ^ Ghermezian, Shiryn (1 February 2023). "Israeli Olympic Shooter Pulls Out of World Cup After Being Told He Cannot Compete With Israeli Symbols". The Algemeiner. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  38. ^ a b Douillet, Claudine (1 February 2023). "Le tireur olympique israélien,Sergey Richter, se retire de la compétition de la Coupe du monde" [Israeli Olympic shooter Sergey Richter withdraws from World Cup competition]. alliancefr.com (in French). Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  39. ^ a b c וילדאו, ליאן (26 January 2023). "סרגי ריכטר: "מאכזב, לא אכסה את זהותי"". כאן | תאגיד השידור הישראלי.
  40. ^ "סרגיי ריכטר השיג את הקריטריון לפאריס 2024". ONE - מספר אחת בספורט. 14 June 2024.
  41. ^ a b איפרגן, סתיו (14 June 2024). "סרגיי ריכטר השיג את הקריטריון האולימפי וייצג את ישראל בפריז". Ynet.
  42. ^ "Israeli Olympic stars rounding into form in Paris," The Jerusalem Post.
  43. ^ "Olympic Qualification Tracker". International Shooting Sport Federation. Archived from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
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