USA Shooting shotgun, rifle and pistol athletes earned a grand total of 18 medals and three United States Olympic quota slots for the Paris 2024 Games at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, October 21-27.
The 18 medals earned the United States the title of top-ranked country for shooting sports at the 2023 Pan American Games. The five gold, five silver and eight bronze medals doubled the total medal count of the second-ranked country, Mexico, which finished with eight.
More about the Pan American Games: This continental multi-sport event is conducted in the Americas every four years during the year prior to the Summer Olympic Games. The competition features athletes from nations of the Americas.
Vincent Hancock, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, represented the United States in the Pan American Games opening ceremony as one of the nation’s flag bearers. This marked the first time a shooting sport athlete carried the flag in the ceremony.
“To carry that flag meant more to me than anything else I have ever done,” Hancock, a 23-time World Cup Medalist said. “Representing the country is far different than representing yourself.”
Sagen Maddalena, a Tokyo 2020 Olympian, earned the coveted title of Pan American Games Champion by securing a gold medal in Women’s 10m Air Rifle on October 21, which was the first official day of shooting events. Maddalena’s victory marked the first shooting medal for America at the Pan American Games. A Sergeant in the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, (USAMU), she set a new Pan American Games finals record with a score of 249.5.</p
On October 22, Hancock claimed his first gold medal of the 2023 Pan American Games in Men’s Skeet. Hancock’s victory made him a three-time Pan American Games Champion. Also a four-time World Champion, Hancock secured his spot in the finals after shooting a perfect 125 of 125 targets in the qualification round. His flawless score set a new qualification Pan American Games record and tied the qualification world record.
Hancock went on to earn his second gold medal with teammate Dania Vizzi in the Mixed Team Skeet event on October 23. The duo edged out the Mexican team, which earned silver.
Mary Tucker, a Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalist, earned the title of Pan American Games Champion in Women’s 50m Smallbore Rifle, earning the gold medal with a final score of 458.4, which set a new Pan American Games finals record. Tucker, also a two-time ISSF World Championship medalist, claimed her second gold medal with teammate Rylan Kissel in Mixed Team Air Rifle.
United States Olympic quota slots for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games were also on the line in Chile at the 2023 Pan American Games. Henry Leverett secured a quota in Men’s Rapid Fire Pistol by earning bronze in the event October 22. This marked the second time Leverett has earned the Men’s Rapid Fire Pistol quota. He earned one for the United States back in 2018 for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Pistol continued their success on October 26, when Alexis “Lexi” Lagan claimed a quota for the United States in Women’s 10m Air Pistol by earning a silver medal in the event.
Rachel Tozier, a Staff Sergeant serving with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, earned the third quota of the competition in Women’s Trap by winning bronze in the event. The United States shotgun team has now secured all eight of their Olympic quotas for Paris 2024—making the U.S. the first country with all slots filled in the discipline.
At the Pan American Games, each event consisted of a qualification round and a final or bronze or gold medal match. USA Shooting athletes qualified and participated in 17 out of the 19 total finals, medaling in 15 of them.
The haul shooting athletes achieved contributed to Team USA’s overall Pan American Games medal count. As of Thursday, November 2, Team USA is ranked number one with 202 medals, well more than the number-two country, Brazil, which currently has 141.
Partners and sponsors for the 2023 Pan American Games Team include the NRA Foundation, Safari Club International, the International Order of T. Roosevelt, Hillsdale College, the MidwayUSA Foundation, Eley, Patriot Mobile, Nine Line Apparel, Hillsdale College, NSSF, Glassen Foundation, USCCA, Ruger, White Flyer, Talo Distributors, Winchester, SKB Cases, Spandau, Bone-Dri, Shoot the Moon, Mega Link, MEC, Pardini, Krieghoff and Rock Island Auction Company.
A breakdown of medals earned by Team USA at the 2023 Pan American Games is below.
- Vincent Hancock: Gold, Men’s Skeet
- Sagen Maddalena: Gold, Women’s 10m Air Rifle
- Mary Tucker: Bronze, Women’s 10m Air Rifle
- Rylan Kissell: Silver, Men’s 10m Air Rifle
- Henry Leverett: Bronze, Men’s Rapid Fire Pistol (secured the U.S. an Olympic quota for Paris)
- Rylan Kissell and Mary Tucker: Gold, Mixed 10m Air Rifle Team
- Sagen Maddalena and Gavin Barnick: Bronze, Mixed 10m Air Rifle Team
- Vincent Hancock and Dania Vizzi: Gold, Mixed Skeet Team
- Dustan Taylor and Austen Smith: Bronze, Mixed Skeet Team
- Lexi Lagan: Bronze, Women’s 25m Sport Pistol
- Mary Tucker: Gold, Women’s 50m Smallbore Rifle
- Sagen Maddalena: Silver, Women’s 50m Smallbore Rifle
- Lexi Lagan: Silver, Women’s 10m Air Pistol (secured the U.S. an Olympic quota for Paris)
- James Hall: Silver, Men’s 10m Air Pistol
- Rachel Tozier: Bronze, Women’s Trap Pistol (secured the U.S. an Olympic quota for Paris)
- Tim Sherry: Silver, Men’s 50m Smallbore Rifle
- Lucas Kozeniesky: Bronze, Men’s 50m Smallbore Rifle
- Nick Mowrer and Lisa Emmert Traciak: Bronze, Mixed Team Air Pistol
View all Pan American Games results at this link.
With 18 medals and three U.S. Olympic quotas earned, the team is making strides on their Path to Paris 2024. All three disciplines—rifle, pistol and shotgun—have completed part one of their Olympic Trials.
USA Shooting athletes now have a total of 18 quotas slots for Pairs. When a shooting athlete earns a quota for the United States in a specific event, the U.S. then becomes eligible to have an athlete compete in said event at the Olympic Games. Athletes are only eligible to earn one event quota in a four-year Olympic cycle.
Up next for USA Shooting is the ParaPan American Games, November 17-26. Ten athletes will be headed to Santiago, Chile, for their shot at earning championship titles and U.S. Paralympic quotas.
Learn more about USA Shooting at usashooting.org.
