Team USA: Caitlin Connor Receives Olympic Committee Honors

by
posted on October 24, 2018
cait-connor-septaward2.jpg
The U.S. Olympic Committee has a monthly Best Of” award, and thanks to her outstanding performance at the 2018 ISSF World Championships in South Korea, skeet shooter Caitlin Connor won the Best of September female athlete for Team USA. She received a very respectable 30 percent of the vote.

Kim Rhode and Caitlin Connor | 2018 ISSF World Championships, South Korea
Kim Rhode and Caitlin Connor fist bump at the 2018 ISSF World Championships in Changwon, South Korea.

At the ISSF World Championships in Changwon, South Korea, Connor won her very-first gold medal after defeating teammate (and shooting mentor) Kim Rhode in the final by a lone clay. They were tied going in to the last station during the final. The win marked the fourth consecutive womens skeet championship won by a U.S. shooter.

In a USA Shooting press release, Connor said, “I was pretty emotional during that final because I’ve never had the feeling during a final that I was going to win and the whole time I thought ‘I’m going to win this thing!’ I wanted to cry after my third pass through! I just kept thinking ‘Stay strong, focus on what you’re doing, and it will be fine.’”

Caitlin Connor, Kim Rhode and Amber English | 2018 ISSF World Championship, Korea
Caitlin Connor, Kim Rhode (l.) and Amber English on the podium at the ISSF World Championships in South Korea. The last time Team USA swept an open World Championship was in 1974.

Connor, age 27 and a native of Winnfield, LA, is the first woman shooter recognized for a monthly Team USA Best of award since the format was revised. Each Olympic discipline NGB (National Governing Body) nominates three athlete(s) each month: one man, one woman and one team nominee. The coolest part about the Team USA monthly honors is that 50 percent of the final tally is determined by fans voting online. NGB officials and the media provide the other 50 percent of the votes.

Below are the four other athletes that were nominated for the September 2018 Team USA Female Athlete of the Month, along with their share of the votes cast:

1.  Laura Graves (Equestrian), 26 percent
2.  Allysa Seely (Paratriathlon), 17 percent
3.  Rebecca Hart (Para-equestrian), 15 percent
4.  Katie Zaferes (Triathlon), 13 percent

Photos courtesy of USA Shooting


More Team USA coverage:

•  ISSF World Championship: Vincent Hancock Wins Record 4th Men’s Skeet Title
•  Kim Rhode Elected ISSF Athletes Committee Chair
•  ISSF World Cup: Cogdell-Unrein, Wallace Win Trap Mixed Team Gold
•  Junior World Cup Germany: Morgan Phillips Continues Hot Streak, Wins 3-P Silver Medal
•  Kim Rhode Continues To Shine
•  At The Top Of Her Game, Rachel Martin Aims For International Stage

Latest

Browninggoldenclays 2
Browninggoldenclays 2

SHOT Show 2025: Browning Ammunition Golden Clays Performance Target

Browning Ammunition’s new Golden Clays Performance Target premium shotshell ammunition makes debut at SHOT Show 2025.

Junior Competitor Tops Bullseye Pistol Beginner League Leaderboard

Jenna Boykin lands on top in inaugural CMP/Lake Erie Arms Bullseye Pistol Beginner League.

Smith & Wesson Model 1854 Lever-Action Rifle Now Available In .357 Mag.

Smith & Wesson expands Model 1854 lever-action lineup with new .357 Mag. caliber options.

New Brush System For Cleaning Hard To Reach Areas Of The Remington Model 700 Action

New brush system from Fix It Sticks for cleaning Model 700 actions.

Lapua Introduces New 7 mm PRC Cartridge Cases

Long-range precision shooters take note: Lapua’s new 7 mm PRC brass cartridge cases are scheduled to arrive in fall 2025.

Springfield Armory Crams More Into Less With 1911 DS Prodigy Compact

Springfield Armory’s new 1911 DS Prodigy Compact 9 mm handguns have a 15-round capacity and optics-mounting capability in a small package.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Sports USA delivered to your inbox.