So much significance is placed upon just 10 days. Such fleeting moments in time are typically hard to remember and even harder to define. But the Olympic Games exude the opposite. Every one of us can reach into our memory banks and pull out those Olympic mo- ments in which medals were won, odds were overcome and greatness stood still. As shooting sports fans, we’ll remember London 2012 for Kim Rhode’s rise to Olympic fame despite an environment
littered with deeper attraction to swimmers, runners and gym- nasts. We’ll remember Vincent Hancock’s stoic ascension to skeet greatness; the Jamie Gray smile as almost finally became foremost; and the pit in our stomachs that followed Matt Emmons’ final shot of 7.6 and the jubilation that followed when “oh no” finally became “hell yes.” Above all yes, those will
certainly be the defining mo- ments of this summer and the remembrance and celebration of those is sprinkled through-
out this edition of USA Shoot- ing News and will likely be in every piece of USA Shooting collateral from now through Rio 2016.
While these will forever be the defining moments for the summer of 2012, let’s not for- get that the whole far exceeds the sum of its parts. This collection of talent numbering 22 Olympic and Paralympic shooters deserves its collective recognition. While not all were fortunate enough to find glory through medal, their pursuit, dedication, discipline, respon-
sibility and representation of their craft demands respect and admiration. Collectively they represent
everything that we love about the shooting sports. Soldiers, veterans, students, teachers, hunters and a rancher united to showcase marksmanship skills at the highest level. Us- ing their skills they taught all of us that hitting your mark is golden, but in pursuit of perfec- tion, coming close is pretty darn good too.
Top Left: Team USA enters Olympic Stadium in London. Photo Gary Anderson
Scan below to watch the Shooting Stars highlight video of Team USA!
Middle Right: Keith Sanderson fires down range in Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol. Photo U.S. Presswire Bottom Left: Corey Cogdell takes aim in Women’s Trap. Photo U.S. Presswire