Cyprus Shotgun World Cup

[USA Shooting]

USA Shooting News

Cyprus World Cup Awaits 12 U.S. Shotgun Athletes

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (April 27, 2017)
Fresh off her first World Cup medal and win, Ashley Carroll (Solvang, California) is looking to carry forth the momentum in Women’s Trap she found in Acapulco. Photo courtesy of the ISSF. The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup series rolls on in 2017 with Larnaca, Cyprus the next destination for 420 shotgun athletes, including 12 of America’s finest. Competition begins Sunday in Men’s and Women’s Skeet.

Hard to believe it’s not even May yet and the final Shotgun World Cup stage of the season is already here with the much-anticipated World Championships and World Cup Final still yet to come.

The USA Shooting Team will try and keep pace with the performances they’ve already tallied this year in two World Cups, including 12 top-12 finishes, three wins and five podium results already. Not to mention, a couple of mixed team medals to enhance the success.

No stranger to sustained success is six-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode (El Monte, California). At this stage in her career, with a robust 31 World Cup medals to her credit, it’s hard to find something Rhode hasn’t accomplished. But, a win in Larnaca and it will be the first time in her World Cup career with three wins in one season.

How has Rhode answered becoming the first summer Olympic athlete to ever earn six straight Olympic medals? GOLD, GOLD, and GOLD, that’s how. She earned a gold medal at the World Cup Final to end 2016 and then began her 2020 vision with a win in India and Acapulco to begin 2017.

Rhode headlines a Women’s Skeet Team that is the clear powerhouse worldwide. Since 2013, over the span of 14 World Cups, there’s been just three events in which an American hasn’t been on the podium. During that stretch, there’s been four times with at least two U.S. skeet women on the podium at the same time.

Joining Rhode this time will be three-time Junior World Championships medalist Dania Vizzi (Odessa, Florida) and World Cup rookie Sam Simonton (Gainesville, Georgia).

Fresh off her first World Cup medal and win, Ashley Carroll (Solvang, California) is looking to carry forth the momentum in Women’s Trap she found in Acapulco. She tuned up for Cyprus with a competition at Fort Benning, Georgia last weekend and finished second among all participants, men or women. Two-time Olympic bronze medalist Corey Cogdell-Unrein (Eagle River, Alaska) is looking to find her stride in the midst of a drastic technique adjustment that should make her long-term goals more attainable even if the success she’s accustomed to isn’t there right away. Caitlin Barney Weinheimer (Kerrville, Texas) returns to World Cup competition after a five-year absence.

Men’s Trap athlete Jake Wallace (Castaic, California) has been in Finals contention during the first two World Cups, finishing 10th and 12th after winning a Grand Prix in Qatar to begin his season. Wallace loved the Larnaca range the last time he visited two seasons ago, picking up the highest World Cup finish of his career as he came in fifth. Also participating is double-trap convert Derek Haldeman (U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit/Sunbury, Ohio) as well as Bradly Beckmann (Chesterfield, Missouri).

An all-Army contingent will represent the U.S. in Men’s Skeet including 2016 National Championships runner-up and 2016 Selection Match winner Dustan Taylor (Staley, North Carolina), Mark Staffen (Lewis Center, Ohio) and Christian Elliott (Greenwood, Indiana).

2017 World Cup Cyprus Schedule

Sunday, April 30 – W Skeet Qualification + Final (~10:15 am ET) & M Skeet Qualification Day 1

Monday, May 1 – M Skeet Qualification Day 2 + Final (~10:45 am ET)

Friday, May 5 – W Trap Qualification + Final (~9:45 am ET) & M Trap Qualification Day 1

Saturday, May 6 – M Trap Qualification Day 2 + Final (~11:00 am ET)

Finals matches will be streamed live on the ISSF website, on the Federation’s Livestream channel and on its official Facebook page.

[john bickar]

Cypress?