Sergey Richter

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.{{Cite web|url=https://sport1.maariv.co.il/other-industries/article/996515/|title=אחרי שש שנים: הקלע האולימפי סרגיי ריכטר חזר לישראל|date=25 November 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympicsil.co.il/%d7%9c%d7%9c%d7%90-%d7%a7%d7%98%d7%92%d7%95%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%94/%d7%a8%d7%90%d7%99%d7%95%d7%9f-%d7%94%d7%a9%d7%91%d7%95%d7%a2-%d7%a2%d7%9d-%d7%94%d7%a7%d7%9c%d7%a2-%d7%94%d7%90%d7%95%d7%9c%d7%99%d7%9e%d7%a4%d7%99-%d7%a1%d7%a8%d7%92%d7%99%d7%99-%d7%a8%d7%99/|title="ראיון השבוע": עם הקלע האולימפי סרגיי ריכטר – Israel Olympics}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.one.co.il/Article/142805.html|title=הכירו את היורש של גיא סטריק - סרגיי ריכטר|date=20 August 2009|website=ONE - מספר אחת בספורט}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/120671|title= Sergey Richter|website=Olympedia }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.issf-sports.org/athletes/athlete.ashx?personissfid=SHISRM2304198901|title=Sergey Richter|website= International Shooting Sport Federation}} He is Jewish and an Israeli citizen.{{cite web|url=http://www.issf-sports.org/shooters/shooter.ashx?personissfid=SHISRM2304198901 |title=Portrait of the shooter; Rikhter, Sergy – ISR|publisher=International Shooting Sport Federation |accessdate=14 November 2011}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/viewer.aspx |title=Archived copy |access-date=22 November 2011 |archive-date=6 December 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031206060331/http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/viewer.aspx |url-status=dead }} Richter attended Wizo High School, in Rehovot. When his parents were young, his mother, Svetlana, was a figure skater and his father, Alexander, was a wrestler. In 2011, his father developed colon cancer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympicsil.co.il/%d7%9c%d7%9c%d7%90-%d7%a7%d7%98%d7%92%d7%95%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%94/%d7%94%d7%a8%d7%92%d7%a2-%d7%a9%d7%a9%d7%99%d7%a0%d7%94-%d7%90%d7%aa-%d7%97%d7%99%d7%99-%d7%a2%d7%9d-%d7%94%d7%a7%d7%9c%d7%a2-%d7%94%d7%90%d7%95%d7%9c%d7%99%d7%9e%d7%a4%d7%99-%d7%a1%d7%a8%d7%92/|title="הרגע ששינה את חיי" עם הקלע האולימפי סרגיי ריכטר – Israel Olympics}} 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." He is married to Natalie whom he married after the Rio Olympic Games, and he and his wife have twin girls.

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Richter began shooting in 2002, at 13 years of age, as part of a Gadna (Israel Defense Forces youth corps) program.{{cite news|last=Talshir |first=Uri |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/sports/aiming-high-1.367351 |title=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.|work=Haaretz |date=23 October 2011 |accessdate=15 November 2011}} He then trained with Hapoel Rehovot.

Richter trains at the Herzliya firing range, and is now a member of Maccabi Ra'anana. He is right-handed, and his "master eye" is his right eye.{{cite web |url=http://www.issf-shooting.org/pages/resulttargets.ashx?reskey=53484953524d323330343139383930313b3b313137363b415236303b313b513b493b313b323b30 |title=ISSF |publisher=International Shooting Sport Federation |date=26 March 2011 |accessdate=15 November 2011 }}{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He is coached by Israeli three-time Olympian Guy Starik and Yevgeni Aleinikov.{{Cite web|url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/sports/2013-03-27/ty-article/.premium/olympics-in-sergey-richters-sights/0000017f-dc12-db22-a17f-fcb378500000|title=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.|date=May 27, 2013 |work= Haaretz|author=Neria Jerafi}} His club is Maccabi Ra'anana Shooting Club.

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.{{cite news |url=http://www.shooting.by/events/2009/n_160509.html |title=Air Rifle Men – Rikhter brought Israel's flag on the podium |publisher=Shooting|date=16 May 2009 |author=Marco Dalla Dea |accessdate=14 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401013907/http://www.shooting.by/events/2009/n_160509.html |archive-date=1 April 2012}}{{cite news|url=http://english.cri.cn/6909/2009/05/17/1781s485262.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717043741/http://english.cri.cn/6909/2009/05/17/1781s485262.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 July 2012 |title=Chinese Shooters Suffer Mini-Waterloo in Munich World Cup |publisher=cri.cn |date=17 May 2009 |accessdate=15 November 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://www.issf-sports.org/xmlresultpage.aspx?cshipid=922&resultkey=C10000_I_1605090830.1.AR60.0 |title=10m Air Rifle Men |publisher=International Shooting Sport Federation |date=16 May 2009 |accessdate=15 November 2011}}

His qualification score of 599 points out of 600 was one point short of the world record, and tied the junior world record.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/sports/introducing-israels-olympians-sergey-richter|title=Introducing Israel's Olympians: Sergey Richter|date=10 July 2012|website=The Jerusalem Post}}{{cite web|url=http://www.archerfish.org/issf-world-cup-munich-medal-standings-records/ |title=ISSF World Cup Munich: medal standings and records. |publisher=Archerfish.org |date=20 May 2009 |accessdate=14 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090523010939/http://archerfish.org/issf-world-cup-munich-medal-standings-records/ |archive-date=23 May 2009 }}{{Full citation needed|date=August 2014}} Richter won with 701.7 points. It was only his first shot that was not perfect. 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!” In the 2006 10m Air Rifle Men Junior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, he came in 4th, with a score of 591. He was signed to the German shooting team Kolber that same year.

In February 2010, Richter won the gold medal in the IWK Air Gun competition men's 10 metre air rifle match in Munich, Germany.{{cite web|url=http://www.archerfish.org/iwk-munich-rifle-pistol-season-starts/ |title=IWK in Munich – The Rifle and Pistol season starts from here |publisher=Archerfish.org |date=6 February 2010 |accessdate=15 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110204130709/http://archerfish.org/iwk-munich-rifle-pistol-season-starts/ |archive-date=4 February 2011 }}{{Full citation needed|date=August 2014}} 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.{{cite news|author=MDD |url=http://www.issf-sports.org/news.ashx?newsid=1261 |title=10m Air Rifle Men – Campriani claimed Gold |publisher=International Shooting Sport Federation |date=28 June 2010|accessdate=15 November 2011}} In June 2011, he was ranked fifth in the world by the ISSF.

Richter competed in the September 2011 ISSF World Cup final in the men's 10 metre air rifle.{{cite news|url=http://www.shooting-ua.com/arhiv_sorevnovaniy/Arhiv/2011/World_Start-2011/Final_ISSF_Wroclaw-2011/VP6.pdf |title=ISSF World Cup Final; 10m Air Rifle Men; Wroclaw |date=22 September 2011 |accessdate=14 November 2011}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.issf-sports.org/news.ashx?newsid=1563 |title=Zhu set a new 10m Air Rifle Men final world record |publisher=International Shooting Sport Federation |date=22 September 2011|accessdate=15 November 2011}} 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.

In April 2012, Richter won the silver medal in the 2012 Shooting World Cup in London, in men's 10 metre air rifle. His 701.1 points were a personal record.{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4218976,00.html|title=Israeli sharpshooter wins World Cup silver|work=Ynet|date=22 April 2012 |last1=Aharoni |first1=Oren }}

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.{{cite news|last=Lancman |first=Rory |url=http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=229729 |title=Israeli swimmers earn a spot at 2012 Summer Olympics |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=17 July 2011 |accessdate=14 November 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://www.usashooting.org/news/2011/4/9/120-issf-world-cup-changwon-day-1 |title=ISSF World Cup Changwon: Day 1 |publisher=USA Shooting |date=9 April 2011 |accessdate=15 November 2011}} He missed the finals by one point, coming in 9th out of 30 competitors, with 8 shooters making it into the final.{{cite web|url=http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/07/30/israeli-swimmer-sets-national-record-at-olympics/|title=Israeli Swimmer Sets National Record at Olympics|work=The Algemeiner|date=July 30, 2012}}{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/oly-shoo-shm10r-idUSL6E8IU7XY20120730|title=Olympics-Men's shooting 10m air rifle qualification results|work=Reuters|date=30 July 2012}} After the Olympics, he planned to complete his military service, and to study graphic design.

In March 2013, Richter won a gold medal in the European Championship in Odense, Denmark, and was named European Champion at 10 m.{{cite web|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-marksman-snags-silver-medal/|title=Israeli marksman snags silver medal|author=Aaron Kallman|date=4 April 2013|work=The Times of Israel}}{{cite web|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-sharpshooter-wins-gold-in-europe/|title=Israeli sharpshooter wins gold in Europe|work=The Times of Israel|date=1 March 2013}} In April 2013, he won a silver medal at a 2013 World Cup tournament in Changwon, South Korea, in 10m Air Rifle.{{cite web|url=http://www.issf-sports.org/shooters/shooter.ashx?personissfid=SHISRM2304198901|title=ISSF|work=International Shooting Sport Federation}} In 2013 and 2014 he also won bronze medals at World Cup tournaments in Fort Benning, Georgia.

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.{{cite web|url=http://eng.belta.by/all_news/sport/Second-gold-for-Belarus-at-Baku-2015-European-Games_i_82534.html|title=Second gold for Belarus at Baku 2015 European Games|work=belta.by|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617171934/http://eng.belta.by/all_news/sport/Second-gold-for-Belarus-at-Baku-2015-European-Games_i_82534.html|archive-date=17 June 2015|date=16 June 2015}}

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

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/olympics-shooting-men-results-idUSISS836319|title=Shooting-Men's 50m rifle prone qualification results|date=April 12, 2016|publisher= Reuters}}Allon Sinai (August 8, 2016). [http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Sports/Israeli-judoka-Sagi-Muki-one-win-away-from-Olympic-medal-463567 "Israeli judoka Sagi Muki one win away from Olympic medal"], The Jerusalem Post

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/stories/live/detail/european-games-2019-minsk-day-4-live-blog-and-video-streams/|title=European Games 2019 Day 4: As it happened|publisher=olympicchannel.com}}

At the 2020 European Championship in Wrocław, Poland, Richter won a bronze medal in the 10m Air Rifle individual.

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.

At the 2021 European Championship in Osijek, Croatia, Richter won a silver medal in the 10m Air Rifle individual. As of July 2021, he was ranked 8th in the world by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF).{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurolympic.org/road-to-tokyo-israels-richter-has-olympic-podium-in-crosshairs/|title=ROAD TO TOKYO – ISRAEL'S RICHTER HAS OLYMPIC PODIUM IN CROSSHAIRS|date=6 July 2021|publisher=eurolympic.org/}}

At a World Cup in Rio de Janeiro in 2022, Richter won a silver medal in 10m Air Rifle Men. At the 2022 Changwon World Cup, he won a bronze medal in 10m Air Rifle individual and a bronze medal in Mixed Team. At the 2022 Granada Grand Prix, he won the gold medal in 10m Air Rifle individual. 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.

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.{{Cite web |last=Ghermezian |first=Shiryn |date=1 February 2023 |title=Israeli Olympic Shooter Pulls Out of World Cup After Being Told He Cannot Compete With Israeli Symbols |url=https://www.algemeiner.com/2023/02/01/israeli-olympic-shooter-pulls-out-of-world-cup-after-being-told-he-cannot-compete-with-israeli-symbols/ |access-date=1 February 2023 |website=The Algemeiner}}{{Cite web | last=Douillet |first=Claudine |date=1 February 2023 | title=Le tireur olympique israélien,Sergey Richter, se retire de la compétition de la Coupe du monde |trans-title=Israeli Olympic shooter Sergey Richter withdraws from World Cup competition |url=https://www1.alliancefr.com/actualites/le-tireur-olympique-israeliensergey-richter-se-retire-de-la-competition-de-coupe-du-monde-6110346 |access-date=1 February 2023 |website=alliancefr.com |language=fr}} His rifle is engraved with the Israeli flag and the letters ISR.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kan.org.il/content/kan-news/culture/215308/|date=January 26, 2023|title=סרגי ריכטר: "מאכזב, לא אכסה את זהותי"|first=ליאן|last=וילדאו|website=כאן | תאגיד השידור הישראלי}} 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." 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.

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. 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. At the 2023 Rio de Janeiro World Cup, he won a bronze medal in 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team. At the 2023 Cairo World Cup, he came in 4th in 10m Air Rifle individual.

At the 2024 Ruse, Bulgaria Grand Prix, he won the silver medal in the 10m Air Rifle individual. As of June 2024, Richter was a nine-time Israeli air rifle champion.{{Cite web|url=https://www.one.co.il/Article/465251.html|title=סרגיי ריכטר השיג את הקריטריון לפאריס 2024|date=14 June 2024|website=ONE - מספר אחת בספורט}}

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. He came in 33rd with a score of 626.4.[https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/sports/article-812276 "Israeli Olympic stars rounding into form in Paris,"] The Jerusalem Post.{{Cite web|url=https://www.issf-sports.org/competitions/ogqualification/quota_places/quota_places_by_nation_and_name.ashx|title=Olympic Qualification Tracker|website=International Shooting Sport Federation|access-date=20 June 2024|archive-date=28 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628174326/https://www.issf-sports.org/competitions/ogqualification/quota_places/quota_places_by_nation_and_name.ashx|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.ynet.co.il/sport/article/hj609dfhr|title=סרגיי ריכטר השיג את הקריטריון האולימפי וייצג את ישראל בפריז|first=סתיו|last=איפרגן|date=14 June 2024|work=Ynet}}

• List of select Jewish shooters
• List of 2015 European Games medal winners
• List of medalists at the European Shooting Championships

{{Reflist|2}}

{{commons category|Sergey Rikhter}}

• {{ISSF}}
• {{Olympics.com profile}}
• {{Olympedia}}
• {{OCI profile}}
• {{2015 European Games profile|richter-sergey-1002965}}
• {{Instagram}}

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Category:1989 births

Category:Living people

Category:Citizens of Israel through Law of Return

Category:European Games bronze medalists for Israel

Category:European Games medalists in shooting

Category:European Games gold medalists for Israel

Category:Israeli male sport shooters

Category:Jewish Israeli sportspeople

Category:Israeli people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent

Category:Jewish sport shooters

Category:Olympic shooters for Israel

Category:People from Bat Yam

Category:Sportspeople from Kfar Saba

Category:Shooters at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Category:Shooters at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Category:Shooters at the 2015 European Games

Category:Shooters at the 2019 European Games

Category:Shooters at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Category:Shooters at the 2023 European Games

Category:Shooters at the 2024 Summer Olympics

Category:Sportspeople from Kharkiv

Category:Sportspeople from Rehovot

Category:Sportspeople from Tel Aviv District

Category:Ukrainian emigrants to Israel

Category:Jewish Ukrainian sportspeople

Category:21st-century Israeli sportsmen