Kim Rhode claimed her 19th World Cup gold medal in Women’s Skeet at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup for Shotgun in Acapulco, Mexico.
Rhode, a xix-time Olympic medalist from El Monte, Calif., dominated the final with 57/60 targets, one short of the Finals World Record she set in April 2018. She dropped only one target in her first 55, but bested eventual silver medalist Chloe Tipple of New Zealand by nine targets. Donglian Zhang of China won the bronze medal.
The women's final was March 24. World Cups in Acapulco have been good to Rhode. She also won gold at the World Cups here in 2017, 2015 and 2010.
“I had an ‘old school power 50’ going into the Final today,” Rhode said, hitting all 50 targets in Qualification and entering the Final in third place with 121/125 targets over two days. “It was super hot and windy, but I was able to win the gold. It was awesome having Sam (Simonton) out there as she shot well and was a true champion powering through the flu.”
At just age 19, Simonton, of Gainesville, Ga., set a Qualification World Record and a Junior Qualification World Record with 123/125 targets. Simonton also hit all 50 targets today despite battling illness. Once in the Final, Simonton was eliminated and finished in fifth place with 25 hits. Additionally, 17-year-old Austen Smith of Keller, Texas, just missed a potential Finals berth by one with 117 targets to finish in eighth place.
Olympic quotas were available in this event; however, the U.S. had already won the maximum number of Olympic quotas in Women’s Skeet at the World Championship last summer in Changwon, South Korea.
The Men’s Skeet competition saw their first 50 targets of Qualification today. Two-time Olympic gold medalist and reigning world champion Vincent Hancock of Eatonton, Ga., hit all 50 targets. Two-time Olympian Frank Thompson of Alliance, Neb., hit 46 targets and Elijah Ellis of College Station, Texas, hit 44.
Competition concludes tomorrow with 75 more targets of Qualification in Men’s Skeet and then Finals. More than 350 athletes from 61 countries are competing at this World Cup.
— Information and featured image from USA Shooting
