Thirty U.S. Shooters in Slovenia to Compete at Shotgun World Championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – -(AmmoLand.com)- Approximately 600 shooters from 70 countries will be competing at the 2009 ISSF Shotgun World Championships in Maribor, Slovenia with competition beginning on August 8 and running through August 16. Thirty U.S. athletes, including 15 juniors, are in Maribor vying for a spot on the podium at the biggest shotgun event of the year.
Three U.S. individual medalists from 2007 are returning to World competition in Maribor, hoping to improve on their World Championship medal tally. Josh Richmond (Hillsgrove, Pa.) won the bronze in Men’s Double Trap in Nicosia, Cyprus in 2007. Vincent Hancock (Eatonton, Ga.), the 2005 Shotgun World Champion, also took home the bronze in Men’ Skeet in 2007, while BJ Blanchard (Vidor, Texas) grabbed the bronze in Junior Men’s Skeet.
Six out of the eight 2008 U.S. Olympic team members for shotgun, including all four 2008 medalists, will also be competing in Maribor. For the ladies, Corey Cogdell (Eagle River, Alaska), the 2008 bronze medalist in Women’s Trap, will be looking to claim her first ever World Championship title. Four-time Olympian Kim Rhode (El Monte, Calif.), who is a two-time Olympic gold medalist as well as an Olympic silver and bronze medalist, will be competing for a spot on the podium in the Women’s Skeet event.
On the men’s side, U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) member Hancock, who is the 2008 Olympic gold medalist in Men’s Skeet will be looking to earn his second World Championship title in Maribor. Richmond, who was the Junior Men’s Double Trap Champion in 2005, will be joined by his fellow USAMU teammates Glenn Eller (Katy, Texas), the 2008 Olympic gold medalist, and 2008 Olympian Jeff Holguin (Yorba Linda, Calif.) in the Double Trap event. Like Richmond, Eller and Holguin were also members of the 2005 and 2007 World Championship teams. Competing in the Men’s Trap event will be 45-year-old Dominic Grazioli (San Antonio, Texas), a 2008 Olympian.
The first medals will be awarded at the Men’s Trap Final, which will take place on August 9. The Women’s Skeet and Women’s Trap Finals will be held August 11 and the Double Trap Final will take place August 13. The Men’s Skeet final will close out the event on August 16.
For a complete competition schedule as well as updated, results, news, photos and video highlights of the 2009 Shotgun World Championships, please visit www.issf-sports.org.
Shotgun World Championship Team Roster:
Trap Men
- Dominic Grazioli, San Antonio, Texas
- Lance Bade, Colorado Springs, Colo.
- Matthew Wallace, Stanton, Tenn.
Junior Trap Men
- Seth Politi, Lexington, Mass.
- Jacob Turner, Richland, Wash.
- Collin Wietfeldt, Hemlock, Mich.
Trap Women
- Corey Cogdell, Eagle River, Alaska
- Theresa DeWitt, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Susan Sledge, El Cajon, Calif.
Junior Trap Women
- Molly Bender, Montoursville, Pa.
- Kayle Browning, Wooster, Ark.
- Brandi Hobbs, Edinboro, Pa.
Double Trap Men
- Glenn Eller, Katy, Texas
- Jeff Holguin, Yorba Linda, Calif.
- Josh Richmond, Hillsgrove, Pa.
Junior Double Trap Men
- Billy Crawford, Johnstown, Ohio
- Bryce Gearhart, Freeburg, Pa.
- Derek Haldeman, Sunbury, Ohio
Skeet Women
- Haley Dunn, Eddyville, Iowa
- Jaiden Grinnell, Port Angeles, Wash.
- Kim Rhode, El Monte, Calif.
Junior Skeet Women
- Ali Chiang, Redwood Shores, Calif.
- Caitlin Connor, Winnfield, La.
- Amber English, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Skeet Men
- Shawn Dulohery, Lee’s Summit, Mo.
- Vincent Hancock, Eatonton, Ga.
- Frank Thompson, Alliance, Neb.
Junior Skeet Men
- BJ Blanchard, Vidor, Texas
- Chris Haver, Clinton, Mich.
- Jon Michael McGrath, Tulsa, Okla.
About:
Winchester Ammunition is a Proud Sponsor of the USA Shooting Shotgun Team:
Winchester® Ammunition has been the exclusive ammunition sponsor and supplier of the USA Shooting Shotgun Team since 1999. Members of the 2008 shotgun team brought home four medals from Beijing using Winchester AA International Target loads. Winchester is an industry leader in advancing and supporting conservation, hunter education and our country’s proud shooting sports heritage. For more information about Winchester and its complete line of products, visit www.winchester.com.