U.S. Para Shooters Earn Two Quota Spots And Seven Medals At World Cup

by Todd Kortemeier

Kevin Nguyen poses after earning a quota spot for the Paralympic Games 2020 for Team USA at the World Shooting Para Sport World Cup in Lima, Peru.

 

In their final opportunity to secure quota spots for this summer’s Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, U.S. Para shooters secured two more for Team USA at the World Shooting Para Sport World Cup in Lima, Peru.

Kevin Nguyen earned a quota spot in R6 - mixed 50m rifle prone SH1, also winning the silver medal with a score of 245.6. And in R5 - mixed 10m air rifle prone SH2, Jaz Almlie finished fourth to secure that quota. The U.S. already had quota spots in P3 - mixed 25m pistol SH1, R3 - mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1, R4 - mixed 10m air rifle standing SH2 and R6 - mixed 50m rifle prone SH1. That makes six quotas for Team USA in Tokyo out of a maximum of 12 per country. The quota earned today by Almlie was in the one event that the U.S. medaled in at the last Paralympic Games, with McKenna Dahl taking bronze.
The athletes to fill those spots will be determined by USA Shooting later this month. The Lima world cup was also the last chance for U.S. shooters to put up scores toward their selection to the Paralympic team. In addition to the quotas, U.S. shooters earned seven total medals in Lima.
The big winner was Xiao Gong, who won two bronze medals and one silver across three SH1 pistol disciplines. U.S. teams won a medal of each color: gold in P3 - mixed 25m pistol SH1 teams, silver in R6 - team mixed 50m rifle prone SH1 and bronze in R3 - team mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1.


Todd Kortemeier is a sportswriter, editor and children’s book author from Minneapolis. He is a contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.