ATHENS, Sept. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- The Paralympic Games shooting competition slated for September 18-23 at the Markopoulo Olympic Shooting Center here has drawn a field of 141 shooters (33 female)from 34 countries and regions.

    Of the 12 events listed on the program, six are open to both women and men (mixed), three are only for men and three only for women.

    All events are indoors.

    Shooting has been part of the Paralympic program since the 1980 sixth Paralympic Games in Arnhem, the Netherlands. The rifle and pistol events are open to all athletes with a physical disability,with two classes - those who need a shooting stand (SH2) and those who do not (SH1). The basic difference between the two is that SH2 shooters may use a special support for the arm that complies with IPC specifications.

    Competition can include shooters with a spinal cord injury (paraplegic and quadriplegic), with cerebral palsy, shooters who are amputees, with progressive illnesses such as muscular dystrophy, etc.

    The program includes air gun and firearm events from distances of 10, 25 and 50 meters.

    Many of the shooters here are Paralympic medalists and current world record holders.

    Jonas Jacobsson of Sweden, 39, has been active in international events for over 20 years. Included in his treasure chest are ninegold, one silver and 11 bronze Paralympic medals. The holder of nine world and Paralympic records, he has competed at every Paralympic Games since 1980, making Athens his seventh Paralympic competition and him one of the most experienced and successful Paralympians.

    He is to compete in four events here.

    Isabel Newstead of Britain will be competing (air pistol women)in her seventh Paralympic Games. Now 49, she has won three gold medals and a silver in swimming at her first Paralympic Games in Arnhem (1980), and another three gold medals in shot put, discus throw and javelin at Stoke Mandeville in 1984.

    Four years later, in 1988, she won her first shooting medal - abronze in air pistol - at Seoul, where she also clinched a gold medal in discus, a silver in shot put and a bronze in the javellinevent. She was Britain's sole shooting gold medallist in Sydney 2000, winning the air pistol event with a world record score (474,6/509) that still stands.

    Australian Libby Ksmala, 62, is looking for her ninth gold in Athens (her ninth Paralympic Games). She won her first gold medalin 1980 in Arnhem, where she also picked up two silvers. The Australian was victorious four years later, when she claimed four world records to complement her stunning return of four more golds.She followed that effort with three golds and a silver from Seoul.

    South Korea's Jin Owan-Jung, 38, will participate in three rifle events an is the holder of four world and Paralympic records.

    Also a four-record holder is Swede Thomas Johansson, 41, who scored the maximum possible result of 600/600 points at the Atlanta Games in 1996.

    The master of pistol events is Russia's Andrei Lebedinski, 41, who is the holder of six pistol world and Paralympic records. He also clinched four Paralympic medals at the 1996 and 2000 Games.

    Greece will be represented by 41-year-old Georgia Dimopoulous (air rifle), 11th in the European championships and Panagiotis Giannoukaris (air rifle), 45, who finished in eleventh place at the world championships.

    Born in Greece, but a member of the Canadian team, is Christos Trifonidis, 58, who finished in sixth place in the air rifle proneat the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. Enditem