An ecological dynamics interpretation of match-wide performance outcomes in elite ISSF air rifle shooting competitions

Traditionally, Olympic air rifle shooting research has focused on averaged biomechanical measures or gun-aiming-point trajectory metrics to analyse performance. Most research has been conducted in training environments, with a lack of understanding of competitive performance behaviours in elite shooters. The current study attempts to address both these issues by identifying different shooting behaviours, investigating when they might emerge throughout the duration of a whole match to uncover potentially functional and dysfunctional behaviours. To achieve this aim, a longitudinal K-means cluster analysis was performed on target metrics for individual shooters from the SIUS AG electronic target-scoring systems. Performance data were analysed from various elite competitions, including Grand Prix, Continental Games, World Cups, and the World Championships. Performance data included target metrics such as shot score, shot interval, and X- and Y-coordinates of shot positions. The longitudinal cluster analysis model included 3946 different match performances. Data were split into two clusters of match-wide behaviours. Results indicated that Cluster A (623.15 points) displayed significantly higher match scores than Cluster B (621.64 points). Scoring differences between clusters were mainly in the first 40-shots (excluding the first shot). Athletes in Cluster A took significantly longer to complete all shots throughout a match. Cluster A also exhibits a greater number of shot-by-shot time interval differences in a match, suggesting a possibly greater ability to adapt to changing match constraints, compared with Cluster B. It is concluded that there may be a need for adaptable shooting behaviours to changing match constraints to stabilise shooting performance.