U.S. Fails to Advance to Women’s Air Pistol Finals

[USA Shooting]

ATHENS— The two U.S. entries in women's air pistol, three-time Olympian’s Beki Snyder (Grand Junction, Colo.) and Libby Callahan (Upper Marlboro, Md.), were unable to break into the top-eight during qualifying and missed advancing to the finals in the 10m event Sunday at the Markopoulo Shooting Centre.

Snyder finished with a 380, which tied for 16th. All in all, Snyder shot fairly consistent with two rounds of 96 and two rounds of 94.

”I can’t go home and beat myself up about a 380,” Snyder said. “It isn’t great, but it isn’t bad. What I am disappointed about is that I didn’t stick to my plan. I wanted to have only strings of 10’s and I wanted to make every shot I took count.”

Callahan, on the other hand, struggled in her opening round, shooting an 89 (out of possible 100), which was one of only five sub-90 rounds shot during qualifying. Callahan rebounded with a 98 in round two, but had already buried herself. Callahan is the oldest member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team at 52. She finished 30th, with a 374.

“I have trained really hard in women’s air,” Callahan said. “It isn’t my strongest event, so I had to work really hard for every shot. For the next event, I won’t have to work as hard. And I won’t be as nervous.”

Both Callahan and Snyder will compete again on Aug. 18 in women’s sport pistol.

For more information on the U.S. Shooting Team, please log on to www.usashooting.org.