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Kim Rhode’s First 2010 World Cup Win Begins Her Quest To Make The 2012 Olympic Team

Kim Rhode's Olympic Team Hopeful

Acapulco, Mexico --(AmmoLand.com)- Kim Rhode took an important first step towards her quest to set an all time record for individual American Olympic athletes by winning the initial International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup competition in Acapulco, Mexico.

The four-time Olympic medalist Rhode, 30, started the final round in the lead with 72 hits after the qualifications, tied with Italy’s Diana Bacosi. In the final round, Rhode did not miss a single target while Bacosi missed three allowing Yu Xiumin to claim the silver medal with another perfect final round.

Rhode’s final perfect score gave her a combined total of 97 targets, one better than the Chinese silver medalist who finished with a 96. Amber English also shot a combined score of 96.

“It hasn’t been easy. My shotgun got stolen a couple of months ago. I got a new one, but of course it took me time to get used to it,” said Rhode, after the award ceremony.

“It’s great to be on the highest step of the podium today, these international competitions are really important now, on the path leading to the 2012 Olympic Games.”

Xiumin tied the second American finalist Amber English who was the early leader in the World Cup and edged her in the shoot off for the silver medal. Yu, a 2006 Asian Champion, had won her last ISSF World Cup medal in 2007 in Maribor.

Amber English secured the Bronze medal, joining her teammate Rhode on the podium. The 20-year-old shooter had never won an ISSF World Cup medal before.

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2010 World Championship Airgun Team Selected

USA Shooting

COLORADO SPRINGS, Co --(AmmoLand.com)- Eleven members of the 2010 World Championship team were selected following the Spring Airgun Championships, which served as Part II of the World Championship Team selection for the men’s and women’s open air rifle and pistol events.

Six air rifle and five air pistol shooters qualified to represent the U.S. this August at the 50th ISSF World Championships in Munich, Germany.

The 2010 World Championship team for airgun was determined by the match scores from the first two days of the 2009 Winter Airgun Championships, which were held last December, added to the match scores from both days of the Spring Airgun Championships and the best two finals from both matches.

Olympic gold and silver medalist Matt Emmons (Browns Mills, N.J.) qualified for the World Championship team in Men’s 10m Air Rifle with an overall score of 2600.7 points. U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) member Matt Rawlings (Wharton, Texas) grabbed the second spot in Men’s Air Rifle with a total score of 2584.2 and Jonathan Hall (Carrollton, Ga.) earned the third spot with 2577.1 total points.

Leading the Men’s Air Pistol team will be 2008 Olympian Brian Beaman, who finished with an overall score of 2507.4 points. Two-time Olympian and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Jason Turner (Rochester, N.Y.) will also represent the U.S. in Munich this summer, finishing right behind Beaman with 2506.2 points. Three-time Olympian and USAMU member Daryl Szarenski (Saginaw, Mich.) grabbed the third spot after firing a total score of 2502.1 points.

Two-time Olympian Emily Caruso (Fairfield, Conn.) lead the way in Women’s Air Rifle, qualifying for a spot on the 2010 World Championship team with 1800.4 total points. Jamie Beyerle (Lebanon, Pa.), a 2008 Olympian, took the second spot with an overall score of 1798.8 points and Texas Christian University’s Sarah Scherer (Fort Worth, Texas) qualified in third place with 1796.4 points.

Teresa Meyer (Dearborn, Mich.) grabbed a spot on the World Championship team in Women’s Air Pistol after firing 1691.8 total points, while Brenda Shinn (Riverside, Calif.), a 2008 Olympian, took the second spot with 1679.0 points.

Junior air rifle shooters will be selected to the World Championship team based on their match scores from the 2010 National Junior Olympics and National Championships. The junior air pistol shooters will qualify based on two courses of fire at the National Championships only.

For complete results from the 2010 Spring Airgun Championships, please visit www.usashooting.org.

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