Team USA Shooters Close Out Olympic Competition With 25 And 50-Meter Events
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by Bob Reinert
Sagen Maddalena competes in the 50m Rifle 3 Position at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on July 31, 2021 in Saitama, Japan.
Sagen Maddalena’s strong showing in Saturday’s 50-meter rifle three positions highlighted the last few days of Olympic competition for Team USA at the Asaka Shooting Range.
Maddalena, a Groveland, California, resident, placed fifth with a total score of 427.8. The event was won by Nina Christen of Switzerland, who shot an Olympic record 463.9. Russian Olympic Committee teammates Yulia Zykova (461.9) and Yulia Karimova (450.3) took the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
The 27-year-old Maddalena finished second in the qualifying round, shooting a total of 1,178. She is a member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. Maddalena was the only member of Team USA to advance to the final in the 25- and 50-meter events that concluded the Olympic shooting competition.
Mary Tucker of Sarasota, Florida, was 13th in qualifying at 1,167. Tucker, competing in her first Olympic Games, previously had won a silver medal in the 10-meter air rifle mixed event with teammate Lucas Kozeniesky.
Brothers Henry and Jack Leverett III of Bainbridge, Georgia, placed 22nd and 25th during two qualifying rounds of the 25-meter rapid fire pistol men’s competition that concluded Monday. Henry shot a total score of 566, while Jack posted a 552.
Also on Monday, Patrick Sunderman and Nick Mowrer shot in the 50-meter rifle three positions men’s event. Sunderman placed 12th in qualifying with a score of 1,172, while Mowrer was 26th with a 1,162.
A pair of Americans took part in the 25-meter pistol women’s qualification on Friday. Alexis Lagan of Boulder City, Nevada, placed 18th with a total score of 580. Sandra Uptagrafft of Phenix City, Alabama was 33rd with a score of 573.
The U.S. Olympic shooting team leaves Tokyo with six medals — three gold, two silver and one bronze. That’s double the total of what Team USA did in Rio and the most since 2008.
Want to follow Team USA athletes during the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020? Visit TeamUSA.org/Tokyo2020 to view the medal table, results and competition schedule.
Bob Reinert #
Bob Reinert spent 17 years writing sports for The Boston Globe. He also served as a sports information director at Saint Anselm College and Phillips Exeter Academy. He is a contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
