Matt Emmons Wins Gold in Prone, Prepares for Men’s 3P

[USA Shooting]

ATHENS – In what is his first Olympic Games, Matt Emmons (Browns Mills, N.J.) has received a large helping of the rifle events. Emmons is the first U.S. shooter in over 40 years to qualify in three rifle events. And after falling short of the finals in men’s air, Emmons, proved once again what his main reason was for coming here, winning a medal in the smallbore competitions.

Emmons, a University of Alaska-Fairbanks alumus, accomplished that goal Friday with a gold medal in men’s prone, and will try for a second in men’s three-position on Sunday.
Emmons is also the reigning World Champion in men’s 50m prone. The first shooter in U.S. history to win the World Championships and Olympics back-to-back in this event.

Four-years ago, at just 19-years-old, Emmons was so close to qualifying for the Sydney Games that he could already taste it. “But,” he says, “that was a blessing in disguise. I wasn’t ready back then. I had the talent, but not enough experience. Now I am ready, I am experienced and knowledgeable enough to win in either event on any given day.”

Emmons provided experience beyond his years, today, as he fought threw the windy conditions and maintained a one-point lead over Germany’s Christian Lusch. With a 599 going into the finals, Emmons shot a 104.3 to hold on to the top position. Lusch hit a 702.2 total score for silver, whereas Sergei Martynov, of Belarus, shot a 701.6 for bronze.

Emmons will compete in men’s three-position on Sunday, along with teammate Major Michael Anti, who also competed in men’s prone today. Anti, of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, finished in 24th with a 591. But maintains that three-position is his stronger event, as well.

Earlier on the 50m rifle range, Sarah Blakeslee (Vancouver, Wash.) and Morgan Hicks (Roy, Wash.) were stopped short in the qualifying round of women’s three-position rifle.
Blakeslee shot a 571 to finish 20th, whereas Hicks came in at 12th with a 577.

At 19, this was Blakeslee’s first Olympic Games and an invaluable learning experience for the young Colorado Springs Training Center athlete. “I learned that after you strip down all of the hype away from the Olympics, it is just a match,” Blakeslee said. “I was so caught up in all of it, I didn’t stick to my plan. I also learned a lot about myself, and about what I need to do to stick to my plan.”

Hicks, the 2004 NCAA Air Rifle Champion, had foreseen the pressure. Hicks said that she tried to ignore everything else but her and her target. “Unfortunately, me and the target had some differences today,” she added.

Day one of men’s skeet starts tomorrow on the shotgun range at Markopoulo Shooting Centre. Sgt First Class Sawn Dulohery (Lee’s Summit, Mo.) and Sgt. First Class Todd Graves will represent the U.S. in this event.

For more information and results, log on to www.usashooting.org.