American Vincent Hancock set a new Olympic record of 148 of 150 to win the gold in Men’s Skeet, the first Olympic shooter to win men’s gold twice. Hancock won gold in Beijing in 2008. The win gives America three golds in men’s skeet, something no other nation has done.
Hancock’s victory gives America a sweep in skeet: Kimberly Rhode won gold in the women’s as well.
Despite intermittent rain, sometimes heavy, Hancock kept focused on the flying targets; the 23-year-old Army sergeant shot 123 of 125 in the preliminary, and was perfect in the finals.
Hancock started shooting at age 11, encouraged by his father who is now his coach. Hancock started competing in 2005, winning his first world championship that year. The Georgia resident has won the world championship twice, the Pan American Games once, and finished second in the World Cup twice since 2005.
Denmark’s Anders Golding took silver with a score of 146, which also broke the old Olympic record of 145. Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiya took bronze after a shoot-off with Russia’s Valeriy Shomin.
