The U.S. Olympic shooting team brought home five medals and made history at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, with shooting events held at the Chateauroux Shooting Range in Chateauroux, France, July 26 to August 11.
Sagen Maddalena, a Groveland, California, native, earned the first U.S. medal in shooting this year with a silver in women’s 50m smallbore rifle. In an exciting final, Maddalena, a sergeant serving in the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, defeated Qiongyue Zhang of China, the latter finishing in third place. In addition, Maddalena qualified for the final for the women’s 10m air rifle event and finished fourth.
Vincent Hancock of Eatonton, Georgia, earned the second U.S. shooting medal and made Olympic history in France this year. He earned his fourth gold medal in men’s skeet, becoming the sixth Olympian ever to win four gold medals in the same event, joining Al Oerter (USA, discus), Paul Elvstrom (Denmark, sailing one-person class), Carl Lewis (USA, long jump), Michael Phelps (USA, 200m individual medley), and Mijain Lopez (Cuba, Greco-Roman heavyweight). He is the first shooting Olympian to accomplish this feat. (Later the same day that Hancock picked up his gold, U.S. swimmer Katie Ledecky became the seventh Olympian to win four gold medals in an individual event after winning the 800m freestyle event.)
Conner Prince of Burleson, Texas, joined Hancock on the men’s skeet podium after capturing the silver medal. Prince and Hancock’s double podium finish marks the first time the U.S. has earned more than one medal in men’s skeet at the Olympic Games. This was also the first time that more than one U.S. athlete competed in an Olympic men’s skeet final.
Austen Smith of Keller, Texas, secured her first Olympic medal in women’s skeet. She shot an overall qualification score of 122 of 125 targets. She tied Amber Rutter of Great Britian, in qualifications and then won a 14-point shoot-off, earning herself the number one bib for the final. In the women’s skeet final, Smith bested Vanessa Hockova of Slovakia, who had to settle for fourth place.
Next, Smith and Hancock paired up to win the fifth and final medal for USA in the mixed team skeet event. The duo earned silver, falling by only one point to Italy in the gold medal match. Smith and Hancock were a favorite for a medal as they are the 2023 world champions in the event. The pair makes a dynamic team as Hancock is Smith’s coach. Hancock also coaches Prince alongside Smith at the Northlake Shooting Sports in Northlake, Texas, a facility that he co-owns.
More history was made in France at the Olympics when Katelyn Abeln qualified for the women’s 25m sport pistol final. Abeln, of Douglasville, Georgia, is the first U.S. woman to ever qualify for an Olympic pistol final. She finished eighth overall.
USA Shooting’s overall Paralympic and Olympic medal count is now up to 126.
You can see all the Paris 2024 Olympic Games medals garnered by USA Shooting below.
- Sagen Maddalena: Silver, women’s 50m smallbore rifle
- Vincent Hancock: Gold, men’s skeet
- Conner Prince: Silver, men’s skeet
- Austen Smith: Bronze, women’s skeet
- Vincent Hancock, Austen Smith: Silver, mixed team skeet
The U.S. Paralympic shooting team is getting ready for their Games to start in France, scheduled for August 28 to September 8.
Learn more about USA Shooting.
