When asked the three things he’s into right now, Vincent Hancock’s reply could
basically be boiled
down into three distinct “F” words: Faith, Family and the Future. That’s it. But really, each one is as paramount to his successes - of which there are many - as anything else. Without all three work- ing in harmony together, there might only be one gold medal, not two, and for cer- tain there would be no talk of continuing a decade-long dominance in his sport. At the medalist press con-
ference in London following his second consecutive gold- medal run in Men’s Skeet, Hancock was already eyeing Rio: “Knowing that I want to go back and build my legacy is what I am going for now,” he said at the time. “It’s not just the number of medals; it’s what else I can do, how big can I grow this sport and how many people can I intro- duce to it.”
That type of drive and
competitive desire is fl eet- ing, something that Hancock knows all too well after see- ing it disappear in 2011. Now, with it fully restored
and perhaps even stronger this time around, the world’s best skeet shooters might be lining up behind him for
a long time to come. He’s bound to ensure his reign as this sport’s king has both longevity and meaning. In his fi rst big match post-London, all he did was post a 250-straight during the 2013 Spring Selection Match on arguably one of the toughest ranges on the planet in Fort Benning, Geor- gia. To begin this season, he mastered perfection and laid down one of the best inter- national performances ever at the season’s fi rst World Cup in Acapulco, Mexico.
It
began with a ho-hum per- fect world-record Qualifying score of 125 on his way to the unprecedented perfect match and ultimately the sixth World Cup gold medal of his career. He would re- main unblemished for an- other 32 shots in the Semis and Finals. “Awesome is always
great to watch,” said USA Shooting’s Director of Op- erations and National Rifl e Team Coach Dave Johnson that day, perfectly surmis- ing what so many of us feel each time Vinny competes. His teammates and friends also echo that same senti- ment; whether it is the way he competes or in his role as father and husband. “What can’t you say good
about Vinny? I mean really - I love the guy,” said three- time Olympic medalist Matt Emmons. “As a young ath- lete and now as a mature one, he’s always been com- mitted to excellence and is a great teammate. He’s never been afraid of reach- ing for the stars and doing something no one has done before. That type of energy and the attitude of ‘Why not me?’ is contagious. It’s fun to be around. Bottom line - I love being around passion- ate people and people who want to do great things – sometimes crazy things that people think aren’t possible or won’t work out. Vinny epit- omizes that. On top of being one of the best competitors I’ve ever met, he’s a family man – and a good one. I’m blessed to have witnessed a lot of his past, I can’t wait to watch his future, and I am totally looking forward to any competitions where we’ll be together as teammates.” “Vinny has more drive than most anyone I’ve ever seen,” said friend and 2012 Olympic teammate Frank Thompson. “He always has a new higher goal he wants to push to on his way to the next level, keeping him driven and working hard. I’ve learned a lot from him;
July 2015 | USA Shooting News
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