For Lucas Loftin, a trip to the shooting range was once simply a way to spend time with his grandfather after school. At seven or eight years old, he would join Glynn Loftin for what began as an occasional outing. Those visits soon became a regular part of his life, and the young Canadian gradually found himself drawn to the sport. Years later, the childhood hobby has turned into a competitive career marked by national records and medals. Now, with his grandfather still guiding him, Lucas has another goal in sight: earning the chance to represent Canada at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
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“I mean, if I get lucky, I’ll be in LA 2028 Olympics, but that’s not guaranteed… it all depends on the day, right,” Lucas told CTV News, acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding his Olympic ambitions.
The road to Los Angeles, however, will not be easy. Earning an Olympic place depends on qualification opportunities, performance, and competition against other talented shooters. National team coach Gale Stewart pointed to the Championship of the Americas, scheduled for November 2026, as an important event where countries in the Americas can earn quota places for the Olympic or Pan American Games. Securing a quota place for Canada would not automatically guarantee Lucas an Olympic spot, but competitions like these form part of the path toward his goal.
One advantage Lucas has is the guidance of his grandfather, Glynn, a former national champion in prone rifle shooting. Their relationship has developed from after-school trips to the range into a coaching partnership that continues to shape Lucas’s career. The teenager credits his grandfather’s experience and connections, along with the support of others in the shooting community, for helping him improve.
“I’m super lucky. Of course, I got one of the best to ever do it, my grandfather, (who) helps coach me and then I get all of his connections. These guys here are the greatest help in the world and I’m just very grateful for that,” Lucas told CTV News.
His results show how far he has come. At just 13, Lucas set a national record in prone shooting. In 2025, he continued to make his mark in three-position rifle shooting. At the Ontario Indoor Championships, he recorded a score of 580 in the 50-metre three-position event, setting an Ontario record. The Shooting Federation of Canada also credited him with two Ontario records, in indoor and outdoor competition, and named him Open Provincial Champion.
At the 2025 National Smallbore Rifle Championships, Lucas set a new national junior record of 565 in the three-position event and won his second Junior Men’s 3-Position Championship. He also finished fourth overall in the Open Men’s final, competing against shooters outside his age group. His performances earned him the federation’s Eddy Mark Shaske Memorial Award for Junior Shooter, further recognizing his progress in the sport.
Despite his growing record of achievements, Lucas understands that past results cannot decide what happens on competition day. Reflecting on the challenge of earning an Olympic place, he told CTV News, “I mean, sometimes, I’m the best… other days, other guys are the best.”
He explained that his chances will depend on how he performs compared with his rivals when it matters most. If he has a strong day while his competitors fall short, he could move closer to securing an Olympic place. If another shooter performs better, the opportunity could go the other way. But for the young Canadian, getting this far has meant learning to handle challenges well beyond the shooting range.
The mental challenges Lucas Loftin must overcome on his road to LA 2028
One of Lucas Loftin’s biggest challenges has been competing against shooters who are two or three times his age and have far more experience. In a CBC interview published in August 2025, Lucas admitted that the pressure can be difficult to handle. “One shot can make or break a match. So it can be nerve wracking,” he said. In a sport where a single shot can affect the final result, staying composed is just as important as developing technical skills.
Lucas has also had to learn how to deal with mistakes without allowing them to affect the rest of his performance. Rather than dwelling on a poor shot, he focuses on the next one, knowing that he cannot change what has already happened. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve messed up five shots, you can’t change that,” he explained to CBC. His grandfather and coach, Glynn Loftin, pointed to his temperament and ability to put previous shots behind him as key strengths. That mental discipline will be especially important as Lucas faces tougher competition and works toward his Olympic ambition.
His progress has also required him to prove himself beyond the national stage. At the 2026 ISSF Junior World Championships in Germany, Lucas finished 32nd in the men’s junior 50-metre three-position elimination round and 25th in the prone elimination round. These results do not tell the whole story of his development, but they reflect the level of international competition he is working to master.
With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics still a goal rather than a certainty, Lucas knows that national records alone will not secure him a place. He must continue improving and deliver when qualification opportunities arrive.