This summer at the Tokyo Olympics, Team USA’s shooting athletes had their best showing at the Games since 1964 after securing six total medals, including three golds.
The gold medal-winning performances in Tokyo for USA Shooting athletes began with William Shaner in men’s air rifle, followed by Amber English in women’s skeet and Vincent Hancock in men’s skeet. Next came two silvers—one for the duo of Mary Tucker and Lucas Kozeniesky in mixed team air rifle, which is a new Olympic event, and another for Kayle Browning in women’s trap. The sixth medal, a bronze, was taken by Maddy Bernau and Brian Burrows in the new mixed team trap event.
This year marks the third time that Team USA has won six Olympic shooting event medals since 1964, when the Games were also held in Tokyo. At the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics, Team USA secured three gold, one silver and two bronze medals, and the U.S. also won two gold, two silver and two bronze medals at the Beijing 2008 Games.
Six Olympic Medals For USA Shooting
Will Shaner won the first U.S. gold medal in a shooting event at the Tokyo Olympics in men’s air rifle. At age 20, he is the youngest U.S. athlete to medal in an Olympic rifle event and the only gold medalist in that event in history for Team USA.
As for Amber English, she won gold in women’s skeet with a record-setting 56 hits, and her victory was immediately followed by Vincent Hancock’s gold medal, giving Team USA a gold medal sweep in Olympic shotgun skeet events. The win marks Hancock’s third Olympic skeet title, making him the only athlete with three golds in the event.
After making the finals and finishing sixth individually, Mary Tucker and Lucas Kozeniesky teamed up to win silver in mixed team air rifle, an event making its Olympic debut this year in Tokyo.
Kayle Browning fought hard to jump from ninth place to fifth during the women’s trap qualifier to secure her spot in the final, where she earned the silver medal.
Finally, Maddy Bernau and Brian Burrows took bronze in the new mixed team trap event after a thrilling shoot-off against the formidable team from Slovakia. Bernau leaves Tokyo with two personal bests—119 in women’s trap qualification and 75 straight in mixed team qualification.
U.S. shooters depart Tokyo with the following 2021 World Rankings:
- Women’s air rifle, No. 1: Mary Tucker
- Men’s air rifle, No. 1: Will Shaner
- Men’s air rifle, No. 3: Lucas Kozeniesky
- Men’s skeet, No. 3: Vinny Hancock
- Women’s skeet, No. 3: Amber English
- Women’s 50m rifle, No. 5: Sagen Maddalena
- Women’s 50m rifle, No. 7: Mary Tucker
- Women’s air rifle, No. 8: Ali Weisz
- Women’s trap, No. 9: Kayle Browning
- Men’s air pistol, No. 10: Nick Mowrer
- Women’s trap, No. 11: Maddy Bernau
- Women’s skeet, No. 11: Austen Smith
Learn more at USAShooting.org.
All photos courtesy of USA Shooting.
Read more: The Full 2021 U.S. Olympic Shooting Team Roster
