C-0 M-100 Y-81 K-4 C-100 M-60 Y-0 K-56. Men s Double Trap. Men s Skeet. Men s Trap. Women s Skeet. Women s Trap

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1 Pantone 289 Pantone CMYK C-100 M-60 Y-0 K-56 Pantone 186 Pantone CMYK C-0 M-100 Y-81 K-4 O LY M P I C T E A M F O R S H O O T I N G Men s Double Trap Men s Skeet Men s Trap Women s Skeet Women s Trap 36 USA Shooting News Olympic Preview Issue 2012

2 ShotgunPreview History in the Making History in the making is the prelude to the Olympic Games for the U.S. Olympic Team for Shotgun and the weight of such is shouldered by not just one, but all six double-barreled medal threats. The five-in-five quest for Kim Rhode will certainly dominate the headlines but given that happens two days into the Olympic shooting competition, the other five U.S. team members will have time to write their own Olympic histories. Olympic gold medalists Vincent Hancock and Glenn Eller will look to become just the eighth and ninth shooters ever to repeat as Olympic champions. Hancock, as steely-eyed and intense a competitor as you ll find in the sport, is back to his dominating destruction of the skeet targets. He has just one World Cup medal since winning gold in Beijing, but has gotten his game back on track after having two children since Eller s biggest threat to a repeat might just be his own teammate Josh Richmond who has simply dominated the field in Double Trap since 2008, winning a World Championship and seven World Cup medals including two in events earlier this year. The three-time Olympian Eller admits his focus hasn t been the same since his gold-medal triumph and the results have shown with no World Cup medals compared to the eight he earned during the quad. He does own a World Championships medal from 2011 and a newfound comfort level with his replacement Beretta, compliments of his Olympic gun never turning up during a trip to Chile. Corey Cogdell is the fourth Olympic medalist making a return visit to Olympic competition. An athlete who seemingly shoots best when the pressure is the greatest, Cogdell was down six targets coming into the Tucson Olympic Trials, and took control with a second-day 94 and would cruise to a 10-point win. She s primed to improve on her bronze-medal finish after winning a gold medal at the Tucson World Cup in March. With 25 targets remaining in his Olympic quest during the Team Trials, an Olympic spot looked bleak for Frank Thompson. Jon Michael McGrath entered the event final three targets up on Mark Weeks and Frank Thompson and in the driver s seat for Olympic selection. Having missed just one target in 150 previous shots, McGrath dropped three targets in the final round while Weeks and Thompson aced their final test with perfect 25s forcing a 25-target shoot-off. Thompson would continue his late-game pressure shooting in the three-person shoot-out with another 25 while McGrath dropped a target on station four that would secure Thompson s Olympic spot after Weeks two missed clays. A rancher s son, Thompson has as even a temperament on the skeet field as any competitor and it proved to be his saving grace when the pressure of the day was at its highest. RIFLE Preview Frank Thompson is a hard-working, dedicated young athlete who carries those attributes throughout the rest of his life. Following his exciting Men s Skeet Olympic nomination in a sweltering Tucson Thompson outlasted two other athletes in a full-round shoot-off he headed home to Alliance, Neb., to help his family brand cows on their ranch. Motivated by his family, country and dreams of a gold medal, he ll join reigning Olympic Champion Vincent Hancock at the Royal Artillery Barracks in London. Olympic Preview Issue 2012 USA Shooting News 37

3 Kim Rhode Women s skeet Women s trap Date of Birth: 07/16/1979 hometown: El Monte, Calif. birthplace: Whittier, Calif. firearm: Perazzi Four-time Olympic Medalist (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) Looking to become 1st U.S. athlete to win 5 medals in 5 consecutive Games in an individual sport 2008 Olympic silver medalist (skeet) 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist (Double Trap), 5th Place (Skeet) 2000 Olympic Bronze Medalist (Double Trap) 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist (Double Trap) Three-time World Championship Medalist (2012, 2002, 1998) Four-time Pan American Games Medalist (1999, 2003, 2007, 2011) Photo Tom Kimmell Kim got her competitive start in American Skeet at the age of 10. After winning the World Championship at age 13, she became captain of the All-American Team. This opened the door to the Olympic style of International Double Trap and International Skeet. She has captured 13 National Championship gold medals since making the National Team in Kim s career also includes 28 medals in international competitions including four Olympic medals. Taking time off after her success in the 2004 Olympic Games, Rhode returned in 2006 with a new focus: the Women s Skeet event. Women s Double Trap was removed from the Olympic Games following the 2004 Games in Athens. Rhode successfully pocketed a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games in Women s Skeet. She is a member of the Safari Club International and an honorary lifetime member of the National Rifle Association. Kim keeps busy with training, public speaking, shooting demonstrations, skiing and hunting, and is an avid builder and restorer of antique and muscle cars. She also collects 1800 s and 1900 s first edition children s books, her favorite being The Wizard of Oz series. 38 USA Shooting News Olympic Preview Issue 2012

4 OLYMPIC TEAM Vincent Hancock Men s skeet Date of Birth: 03/19/1989 hometown: Eatonton, Ga. firearm: Beretta birthplace: Port Charlotte, 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist (Set Olympic Record & Final Olympic Record) Two-time Pan American Games Gold Medalist (2011, 2007) 2010 & 2012 National Championship, Gold Medalist Two-time World Champion (2009, 2005) Nine-time World Cup Medalist Nine-time World Cup Medalist Sergeant Vincent Hancock has been shooting since he was a very young child and started competing when he was 11 years old. Hancock also holds several national records in Men s Skeet. In 2005, at the young age of 16, Vincent won his first World Championship title in Men s Skeet and went on to win the prestigious International Shooting Sport Federation s Shooter of the Year award. He is currently a member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) in Fort Benning, Ga. Married to Rebekah and they have two daughters, Bailey and Brenlyn. Wants to operate his own shooting academy after his competitive career is complete. Photo Brad Armstrong 40 USA Shooting News Olympic Preview Issue 2012

5 OLYMPIC TEAM Frank Thompson Men s skeet Date of Birth: 03/11/1988 hometown: Alliance, Neb. firearm: Krieghoff birthplace: Alliance, Neb & 2012 National Championship Silver medalist 2009 National Championship Bronze medalist 2008 National Championship Silver medalist 2009 World Championship Gold Medalist (Team Skeet) With a little help from his dad, Frank got his start in shooting when he was 10 years old. Frank honed his skills through the sporting clays programs and made the National Development Team in Frank has been a Resident Athlete at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs since Frank s second cousin, Patty Durkin, is a three-time medalist (two gold and one bronze) in Paralympic Wheelchair Track, in Barcelona in In high school, Frank also played tennis and was on the wrestling team. In his free time, Frank enjoys hunting, fishing, motor sports and working on the family ranch in Nebraska where they have about 500 head of cattle. After earning his spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team, Frank celebrated by heading home to that ranch to help brand cattle. Favorite quote: With time and grass, a cow makes milk. PhotoTom Kimmell Olympic Preview Issue 2012 USA Shooting News 41

6 OLYMPIC TEAM Josh Richmond Men s Double trap Date of Birth: 12/19/1985 hometown: Hillsgrove, Pa. birthplace: Sayre, Pa. firearm: 2012 National Championship Silver Medalist 2010 World Champion 2007 Pan American Games Champion 2005 Junior World Champion Seven-time World Cup Medalist Staff Sergeant Joshua Richmond s father won him his first shotgun at a trap competition when Josh s mother was pregnant with him. He fired his first shot out of a shotgun at the age of 5 and began shooting competitively at the age of 11. Josh is currently a member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit at Ft. Benning, Ga. and is taking online courses through Troy State University, studying general education. Josh is among the leading Men s Double Trap shooters in the world and is a serious contender for the 2012 Olympic podium. Josh was on his high school basketball team and enjoys bass fishing, hunting, horseback riding and anything in the outdoors. Recently purchased a big truck that he loves to take 4-wheelin in the mud. Married to wife Scharri and they have two sons, Triston and Beaux. Photo Tom Kimmell 42 USA Shooting News Olympic Preview Issue 2012

7 OLYMPIC TEAM Glenn Eller Men s double trap Date of Birth: 01/06/1982 hometown: Katy, Texas birthplace: Houston, Texas firearm: Three-time Olympian (2000, 2004, 2008) 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist 2004 Olympic Games, 17th Place 2000 Olympic Games, 12th Place 2011 Pan American Games Gold Medalist Nine-time World Cup Medalist In 1996, Glenn was the first American to win the prestigious British Open Sporting Clay title. He began shooting at 8 years old under the direction of Jay Herbert. He has also trained with Olympian Dan Carlisle. Glenn enjoys hunting, golf and was also involved in track in high school. Sergeant Glenn Eller is currently a member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit stationed in Fort Benning, Ga. Photo Tom Kimmell

8 OLYMPIC TEAM Corey Cogdell women s trap Date of Birth: 09/02/1986 hometown: Eagle River, Alaska firearm: Krieghoff birthplace: Palmer, Alaska Cogdell 2008 Olympic Bronze Medalist 2007 Pan American Games Bronze Medalist Three-time World Cup Medalist Corey grew up hunting with her father. She began at 3 years old, which fostered a love for shooting. A few years later, she joined the 4-H program and started to develop her trap shooting skills. The experience pushed her to seek out teaching resources from others in the field. Corey made the National Development Team in 2006 at Fall Selection when she placed first in the Junior Women s Trap competition after shooting for only a few years. That same day, she made the National Team when her score also placed her third in the Women s Trap competition. In her first international competition, the 2007 Changwon World Cup, Cogdell captured the bronze medal. Corey worked in a cooking school for two years as an assistant chef. As part of her job, she traveled to Italy to study how to prepare authentic Italian food. Corey also has a love of old cars, in particular Jeeps and Mustangs. Corey is currently a Resident Athlete at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Beyond the shooting range, she has a wide range of interests. Corey played basketball in grade school and was a competitive skier as a teen. In her free time, Corey enjoys riding motorcycles, rock climbing, hunting, fishing and downhill skiing. Photo Kevin Jairaj/US Presswire 44 USA Shooting News Olympic Preview Issue 2012