Team USA's Will Shaner Wins Olympic Air Rifle Gold Medal

by
posted on July 25, 2021
will_shaner2.jpg

On Sunday, Jul. 25 at the Tokyo Olympics, Team USA's Will Shaner won the gold medal in the men's 10-meter air rifle event. Shaner, at age 20, is the second youngest athlete to win a gold medal in this event.

Ranked 21st in the world prior to the Tokyo Olympics, Shaner set an Olympic record with his gold-medal winning score of 251.6. He triumphed over a talented field of shooters in the final, including the silver and bronze medal winners from China, Sheng Lihao and Yang Haoran, along with Shaner's teammate Lucas Kozeniesky who finished in sixth place.

The NBC Olympics website has a good breakdown of the men's 10-meter air rifle final. See an excerpt below:

"Going into the last two shots, Shaner had a lead of 1.5 points over China's Sheng Lihao, at 16 even younger than Shaner. Shaner's next shot was the worst of his final so far, a 10.1. But Sheng managed only a 10.3 and gained little ground. Shaner sealed the win with a 10.2, good enough to take the win despite Sheng's 10.8."

Foreshadowing his Olympic performance in what is essentially the same event, earlier this year Shaner won a gold medal at the ISSF World Cup Croatia.

A student at the University of Kentucky and a member of the rifle team, Shaner's U.S. teammate and Kentucky teammate Mary Tucker finished sixth in air rifle on Saturday.

The next shooting events for Team USA are the air rifle mixed team event and the skeet finals.

Learn more at USAShooting.org.


Read more: How To Watch Tokyo Olympics Shooting Events

Latest

2014 Nra World Shooting Champ 1
2014 Nra World Shooting Champ 1

Classic SSUSA: The Inaugural NRA World Shooting Championship

Begin with 159 world champions, run them through 11 shooting stages, all with standard guns provided by the match sponsors, and you end up with a new trophy and $50,000 awarded to the inaugural NRA World Shooting Champion.

Legends: Sue Ann Sandusky 1952-2024

The shooting sports community mourns the loss of Sue Ann Sandusky, a three-time NRA All-American, Army veteran and Distinguished service rifle shooter, who sadly passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024.

Gunwerks Spike Feet Set Designed To Improve Grip And Add Stability In Uneven Terrain

This new set of spike feet for the Gunwerks Elevate 2.0 bipod promises to maintain a solid grip in tough terrain.

XS Sights Expands DXT2 Pro Series, R3D 2.0 Lineup For SIG Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory And FN Pistols

XS Sights adds models to the DXT2 Pro Series and R3D 2.0 lineups that will fit SIG Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory and FN pistols.

Modern Technology Implemented To Surmount Logistical Hurdles: 1958 National Matches

The more than 4,000 shooters at the 1958 NRA National Matches were greeted by advanced technology used to speed up administrative tasks during the most populous period in National Match history.

Looking Back At The 2009 NRA National High Power Championship

With a single X-shot determining the winner of a 300-yard shoot-off and a surprise at the awards ceremony, the 2009 NRA High Power Rifle matches held everyone’s attention right to the end.

Interests



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