The 20-member shooting contingent is all set to raise USA’s flag at the Tokyo Olympics 2021. The USA being the powerhouse in shooting sport leads the Olympic medal tally with 110 medals.
Interestingly, a blend of experienced and young shooters will represent team USA at Tokyo Olympics 2021. The 19-year-old Austen Smith is the youngest member of the team. Notably, she qualified for Tokyo when she was 18-year-old.
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Smith will compete in the skeet women’s event. Shotgun has been USA’s strongest suit in Olympic shooting. The 19-year-old shooter belongs to Dallas, Texas, and has been consistently producing medal-winning performances since 2019.
Austen defeated world #1 Great Britain?s Amber Hill
Smith defeated world #1 Amber Hill at the 2021 ISSF World Cup Lonato to clinch the gold medal. In the skeet women’s final, she outnumbered Amber by hitting 55/60. While Hill scored 52/60 followed by Danka Bartekova of Slovakia with 43/60.
During the Lonato world cup finals, she was also the youngest shooter in the top six. Austen shot to fame in 2019 during ISSF Junior World Cup, Suhl, as she bagged the gold medal.
Sports Pic of the day: Nineteen-year-old Austen Smith wins gold in the women's skeet for @USAShooting at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Shotgun World Cup in Lonato pic.twitter.com/XdA7UjE5EB
— Calacus PR (@Calacus_PR) May 11, 2021
USA’s most decorated and successful shooter, Vincent Hancock, has been training the young shooter. She will compete alongside another Tokyo-bound and experienced American shooter Amber English.
Keller, we have an Olympian!
Austen Smith, 19, is the youngest member of the USA Shooting Olympic Team who will be in Tokyo and representing Team USA!
All the best to Austen as she seeks to bring Team USA and Team Keller that gold medal! #KellerProud #TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/k7OfhIMQdq
— Mayor Armin Mizani (@ArminMizaniTX) July 2, 2021
Unexpectedly, the 6-time Olympic medalist and skeet legend Kim Rhodes is not competing this year. Albeit, Austen, and Amber have been fairing well at the World Cups.
After qualifying for Tokyo Olympics, Austen is now pursuing aerospace engineering at the University of Texas, Arlington. Smith will celebrate her maiden Olympics and her birthday on the Tokyo Olympics opening day, 23rd of July.
Team USA for Tokyo Olympics 2021
The shotgun team will be the USA’s best shot at the Tokyo Olympics 2021. Here is the full list of the Tokyo-bound USA shooters.
SHOTGUN:?
Skeet– Vincent Hancock, Philip Jungman, Austen Smith, Amber English
Trap– Madelynn Bernau, Kayle Browning, Brian Burrows, Derrick Mein
PISTOL:
10m air pistol: James Hall, Nick Mowrer
25m pistol: Alexis Lagan, Sandra Uptagrafft, Henry Leverett, Jack Leverett III
RIFLE:?
10m air rifle: Lucas Kozeneisky, Will Shaner, Mary Tucker, Ali Weisz
50m rifle, 3positions: Sagen Maddalena, Nick Mowrer, Patrick Sunderman, Mary Tucker
READ MORE: USA?s Nick Mowrer Does the Unbelievable-Qualifies in Pistol and Rifle Event for Tokyo Olympics 2021
