USA Shooting Starts Strong, Wins Medals and Quotas in Each F

[USAS]

Aug. 2, 2003
USA Shooting Starts Strong, Wins Medals and Quotas in Each First-Day Event

The Women’s 10m Air Rifle event was the first competition to draw to a close Saturday at the Pan American Games’ Sans Souci Shooting Range. Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center resident, Melissa Mulloy was the first American to clinch a medal, taking the podium in tears of relief after securing an Olympic quota slot for the U.S. team and winning a silver medal for herself and her fans.
A 2000 Olympian in 50m 3-postion rifle, Mulloy commented after an intense finals match that she could hardly look at the score board. “I wasn’t sure I could even hit the target with my heart beating that hard. I knew that the girls behind me were shooting really well. I could hear the crowd getting louder and I knew it would be really close.”
But when the 25-year-old did look, she was instantly relieved. She had slipped by Amelia Ro Fournel (ARG) by just three-tenths of a point for the silver and the very coveted quota. Eglys Yah Cruz Farfan from Cuba took the gold with an overall consistent performance shooting a 497.4 total score, which was over four points above Mulloy’s. The U.S. was very well represented in the finals with Mary Elsass (Phenix City, Ala.) finishing in seventh.
The Men’s 10m Pistol competition was everything the U.S. had hoped it would be, with both American athletes walking away with a medal. Olympic Training Center residents, Jason Turner and John Bickar, both put on brilliant performances Saturday afternoon. Turner led the pack, shooting a qualification score of 577 and placing him in first as he headed into the finals. Bickar, shot a 572 to qualify for a fifth place seeding in the finals, but jumped to a leader position after many great 10-something shots put him at third. Bickar made up a significant deficit to clinch his place on the podium. He led the finals match with a 102.1.
“Honestly,” Bickar said after awards ceremony, “I was over thinking it in the qualification round. I just needed to simplify things and let it come naturally. By the finals, I had relaxed a little and started shooting really well. And even though I was still pretty nervous they were hitting right where I wanted them to. It is such an amazing feeling to be able to stand on the podium with a U.S. teammate, and I was able to finish well, so I have no regrets.”
By winning the gold, Turner clinched a very needed quota slot, but also took himself out of the running for one in the sport pistol event. Considering teammate Darryl Szarenski (Seale, Ala.) has already secured his one quota position, as well, it looks as if the U.S. Men’s Pistol Team will only be able to compete for its remaining slots in rapid fire.
Over on the Higuero Shooting range, the first day of Men’s Trap competition closed with some impressive results. In first place is Rodrigo Bastos from Brazil with a perfect score of 75 out of 75. Trailing closely in second is Colorado Springs resident athlete and two-time Olympian Lance Bade with a 73, missing one target in the first round and one in the last. And rounding out the top-three is Danilo Caro of Columbia with a 72. Chris Kiernan (Colorado Springs, Colo.) is tied with seven other competitors with a 68.
Tomorrow will conclude the men’s trap competition, which starts at 9 a.m. at Higuero Field, as the athletes shoot 75 more targets to narrow the field to six. The Women’s 10m Air Pistol event also takes place with the competition taking place at 9 a.m. at Sans Souci and the finals taking place at 11:15 a.m.
For more information or media requests, please call Sara Greenlee at 809-374-9169 or email her at sara.greenlee@usoc.org.
Final Scores
Women’s 10m Air Rifle
1. Eglys Yah Cruz Farfan (CUB) 497.4; 2. Melissa Mulloy (USA) 492.8; 3. Amelia Ro Fournel (ARG) 492.5; 4. Teresa Tellez (MEX) 491.2; 5. Cecilia Zeid (ARG) 490.9; 6. Sharon Bowes (CAN) 490.2; 7. Mary Elsass (USA) 490.1; 8. Dawn Mari Kobayashi (JAM) 488.5.
Men’s 10m Air Pistol
1. Jason Turner (USA) 675.6; 2. Maximino Modesti (ARG) 674.2; 3. John Bickar (USA) 674.1; 4. Julio Tirso (ESA) 670.1; 5. Sergio Werner Sanchez
(GUA) 669.9; 6. Hugo Cutberto Hernandez (MEX) 669.6; 7. Daniel Roger (TRI) 667.1; 8.Stenio Yanamoto (BRA) 664.7.


.42571.0

[PW]

"By winning the gold, Turner clinched a very needed quota slot, but also took himself out of the running for one in the sport pistol event. Considering teammate Darryl Szarenski (Seale, Ala.) has already secured his one quota position, as well, it looks as if the U.S. Men’s Pistol Team will only be able to compete for its remaining slots in rapid fire."
Sport pistol? Should that be Free Pistol?

tt-at-vdpc.org.42573.42571