Another Tough Day for U.S. Shooting Team

[USA Shooting]

ATHENS – The U.S. Olympic Shooting Team found itself in another tough position, Tuesday, as it failed to qualify for one of its more successful event’s finals—men’s double trap. Three-time Olympian, Sgt. First Class Bret Erickson (Bennington, Neb.) finished13th, while the reigning World Champion and two-time Olympian Glenn Eller (Houston, Texas), finished 17th.

“My eyes weren’t adjusting quite right to that second target,” Eller said. “I just wasn’t seeing them the way I should have. I wasn’t making good moves toward the target and basically struggled on every shot I took.”

Eller hit a total of 127 out of the 150 targets thrown. Erickson, who also shot in the men’s trap event a couple of days ago, hit a 130. A score of 134 or higher was a finals contender, but unfortunately, both men were just off their game today.

“It is like I have said before,” Erickson explains, “There are too many variables to control. It isn’t like those sports that you can expect the fastest or strongest to always win. Sometimes it just comes down to who is hot that day.”

Erickson and Eller weren’t the only ones who dealt with off days. In men’s 50m free pistol, Sgt. First Class Daryl Szarenski, of the Army Marksmanship Unit, and Jason Turner, an Olympic Training Center resident, went through the same challenges.

Szarenski, a Michigan native who competed in this event at the 2000 Games and finished 25th, wrapped up this year’s competition in 15th place. Szaranski hit a 554, eight points out of the eight-man final.

“This is the way it has been going for me,” Szarenski said. “I feel like I am right on the edge, but there are about three or four shots that I would love to have back. I have been working for the last two years to figure it out. But, unfortunately I haven’t got it solved.”

Turner (Rochester, N.Y.) who is at his first Olympic Games, finished in 18th with a score of 553. Turner says he feels the same as Szarenski. “There are always three to four shots in the middle of my series that throw me off. Today I couldn’t get out of that rut. I lost patience and started rushing it a little.

“It is definitely disappointing,” Turner added. “I have trained so hard and so long to go to these Games. But you always have to look back on an experience like this in a favorable light. That is what helps you get better from it.”

Next up for the U.S. Shooting Team is women’s double trap, in which two-time Olympic medalist, Kim Rhode (El Monte, Calif.) will try her luck at clinching a medal. Also, women’s 25m sport pistol and the first day of men’s 10m running target will get underway on Aug. 18.

For more information or full results from the Olympic Games, please log on to www.usashooting.org.