Day 8

[USA Shooting]

MUNICH, GERMANY--

Kim Rhode (El Monte, Calif.) embarked on her historic journey today--she not only won her first World Championship medal and a USA quota place, but she also leaped ahead in USA's point selection process for London 2012. With the threshold at 45 points, today's win put Rhode at 53 total points, an impressive feat after one season of point competition. Unless another athlete reaches or exceeds that total by the end of 2011, Rhode will secure a spot (and the quota spot she won) to compete in Women's Skeet in London 2012. If such occurs, it will be Rhode's fifth Olympic Games and a medal would put her in the USA record books.

Rhode shot 72 targets in qualification with two straight rounds and 22 targets in her final round. Tied with Slovakia's Danka Bartekova at 72 targets, Rhode brought experience and poise to the final to shoot a perfect 25 target final. Her total score was 97/100 targets. "It's great to finally win a World Title in front of my parents [who traveled with her]," responded the talented Rhode during an interview with the International Sport Shooting Federation's (ISSF) Marco Dalla Dea. Her teammate, Haley Dunn (Eddyville, Iowa) finished with a total of 91 targets. Dunn entered the final with a score of 71 targets and had a little trouble in the final as she dropped five for 20 targets.

"Despite a cold and rainy first two rounds, Kim and Haley shot great, solid scores and I'm pleased with Kim's consistency," said National Shotgun Coach Bret Erickson. The other American competing was Resident Athlete Amber English (Colorado Springs, Colo.). English finished 36th, scoring 62 targets. The three combined for a strong team score of 205 targets and a team gold medal.
Continuing the USA's domination, the Junior Skeet women cleaned up with a team gold medal. Beating China by three targets, they finished with 197 total targets.

The force of Jaiden Grinnell (Port Angeles, Wash.), Caitlin Connor (Winfield, La.), and Brandy Drozd (Bryan, Texas) also brought their American spirit in terms of red,white, and blue pom-poms on the podium to dazzle the international press. "We promised Bret a gold medal and we're glad to have followed through," said Grinnell who also finished with a silver medal in the individual competition. Tied with Yue Zhang of China, Grinnell drew to shoot first. Stepping up to the line for a pair on station four, she chipped the first target and crushed the second. Zhang hit the first and missed the second to give Grinnell a leg up for silver. Connor finished seventh at 66 targets and 16-year-old Drozd finished 15th with 63 targets. Erickson said, "The Juniors hung in there, shot consistent, and steady to come from behind to win a gold medal despite the inclement weather."

For complete scores and rankings, please visit the ISSF Website.



ELEY is a Proud Sponsor of the USA Shooting Rifle and Pistol Teams: ELEY Limited, manufacturer of the world's most consistently accurate rimfire ammunition, has been the Official Sponsor and Official Supplier of .22 rimfire ammunition of the USA Shooting rifle and pistol teams since 2000. For more information on ELEY and their products, please visit www.eley.co.uk.

Winchester Ammunition is a Proud Sponsor of the USA Shooting Shotgun Team: Winchester® Ammunition has been the exclusive ammunition sponsor and supplier of the USAShooting Shotgun Team since 1999. Members of the 2008 shotgun team brought home four medals from Beijing using Winchester AA International Target loads. Winchester is an industry leader in advancing and supporting conservation, hunter education and our country's proud shooting sports heritage. For more information about Winchester and its complete line of products, visit www.winchester.com.


Dallas Safari Club (DSC) is a proud sponsor of USA Shooting's Junior Team to the World Shooting Championship Team in Munich, Germany. An independent organization since 1982, DSC has become an international leader in conserving wildlife and wilderness lands, educating youth and the general public, and promoting and protecting the rights and interests of hunters worldwide. For more information on DSC visit www.biggame.org.



About USA Shooting:
USA Shooting, a 501c3 non-profit corporation, was chartered by the United States Olympic Committee as the National Governing Body for the sport of shooting in April 1995. USA Shooting's mission is to prepare American athletes to win Olympic medals, promote the shooting sports throughout the U.S. and govern the conduct of international shooting in the country. Check us out on the web at www.usashooting.org and on Twitter at twitter.com/USAShooting.

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