SportsBoom’s Wade McElwain recently had the opportunity to speak with air pistol shooting athlete Jason Solari about his training leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympics. At 24 years old, the Swiss marksman is aiming for a podium finish, as well as balancing his life with being a professional metal fabricator. 

When asked how he adjusts his training as a competition approaches, Jason explained that he reduces the quantity to focus more on fine-tuning details. He also credits his experience at the Youth Olympic Games for giving him valuable exposure to the immense scale and pressure of such international events. “YOG was a wonderful experience, it was an immense event in a distant country.”

In terms of equipment preferences, Jason favours the 10m distance with a Morini compressed air pistol. For mental resilience, he uses a double breathing technique to control nerves and refocus when needed. Jason also works closely with his federation for travel logistics, as transporting air rifles and pistols requires special permits.  After all, traveling with air pistols around the world isn’t easy so it’s good to have a team to help out.

Jason might be young, but that doesn’t mean that he’s up to date with the latest technology, in fact it’s the opposite, ‘technology has little influence on me, I'm not a big fan of technology in sport, I'm a very instinctive type.