Ennio Mattarelli, Olympic trap shooting champion, dies at 98

Legendary Italian Olympic shooter Ennio Mattarelli has passed away in his hometown of Bologna at the age of 98.

Mattarelli is best remembered for his historic performance at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, where he won the gold medal in the trap event. During that competition, he set an Olympic record by hitting 198 out of 200 targets, completing his final 50 shots without a single error.

In addition to his Olympic success, Mattarelli was a multiple-time world champion, securing individual titles in Oslo in 1961 and San Sebastián in 1969. He also earned a world championship bronze medal in Melbourne in 1973.

Following his competitive career, Mattarelli remained deeply involved in the sport. He served as the coach of the Italian national team and founded a business manufacturing clay target throwing equipment, which was utilized in the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. In 2015, he was honored with the Collare d’Oro al Merito Sportivo, the highest sporting honor from the Italian Olympic Committee.