Five athletes—Mary Tucker, Sagen Maddalena, Ivan Roe, Katelyn Abeln and Keith Sanderson—qualified in smallbore events for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after the conclusion of U.S. Olympic Trials-Shooting Smallbore Part Three in Fort Moore, Georgia.
Tucker, a Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games silver medalist, qualified for Paris 2024 in women’s 50-meter smallbore rifle in addition to the qualification in women’s 10-meter air rifle she earned back in January. Tucker, a Sarasota, Florida, native, was most recently crowned the 2024 NCAA 50-meter smallbore rifle champion in March. She is also the 2023 Pan American Games women’s 10-meter air rifle champion, just one achievement among her impressive 20-plus international medals.
“I’m proud of the work put into these Trials and happy that they’re over,” Tucker said. “I (am) even happier I get to shoot all events in Paris. The last months have been a lot and I’m exhausted, but I am looking forward to the events coming up.”
Maddalena, a Tokyo 2020 Olympian, also qualified in women’s 50-meter smallbore rifle in addition to women’s 10-meter air rifle for Paris. Maddalena, a sergeant in the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, placed fifth in women’s 50-meter smallbore rifle at the 2020 Olympic Games. The Groveland, California, native is the 2023 Pan American Games champion in women’s 10-meter air rifle and helped the women’s 50-meter rifle smallbore team earn gold at the 2023 World Championship.
Roe, a Manhattan, Montana, native, joins Maddalena and Tucker as a double qualifier. He qualified for men’s 50-meter smallbore rifle, adding to his qualification in men’s 10-meter air rifle. Roe, a sergeant in the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, is the 2022 CAT Games champion in men’s 50-meter smallbore rifle. Roe competed in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials, but fell short of qualifying for the team. He will be making his Olympic debut in Paris.
“It has been a long road full of highs and lows but one committed to the process and I'm finally seeing the results I've dreamed of for so long,” Roe, a 2023 World Championship team member said. “I know I wouldn't have ever made it this far if it weren't for my family and wife to support me every step of the way. Nor would I have been able to continue shooting if every coach I've ever had hadn't taken a chance on an undeveloped shooter and given me the resources and support I needed to excel. For that I'm eternally grateful.”
Abeln will also be making her Olympic debut in Paris. Abeln, a Douglasville, Georgia, native, qualified in women’s 25-meter sport pistol this past week. She also qualified in women’s 10-meter air pistol in January. Abeln currently shoots for Ohio State University and was on the 2023 World Championship team.
Sanderson qualified in men’s rapid fire pistol for the Paris 2024 Games. Sanderson, of Monument, Colorado, is a three-time Olympian (2008, 2012 and 2016), and served in the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army. Sanderson was on the 2023 Pan American Games team, along with the 2023 World Championship team.
View the official results of the U.S. Olympic Trials-Shooting Smallbore Part Three at this link.
This concludes the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for shooting. Five air gun athletes qualified this past January, and eight shotgun athletes qualified in March.
USA Shooting rifle and pistol athletes are headed to the 2024 Championship of the America (CAT) Games in the hopes of earning the remaining U.S. Olympic quotas needed for shooting. If an athlete earns a quota for the United States, another athlete can qualify for Paris in the corresponding event based on their performance at U.S. Olympic Trials. The 2024 CAT Games will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 31 to April 8.
The U.S. Paralympic Trials-Shooting Part Three are coming up April 21-28 in Talladega and Anniston, Alabama. This is the final Trials event for the Paralympic team.
Learn more about USA Shooting at usashooting.org.
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