Sagen Maddalena walked away from the Women’s 50m Smallbore 3-Position Rifle qualification round at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games today as the top-ranked shooter with a score of 593-45X after a monumental shooting performance.

While she said that she had some doubt before today’s qualification, it didn’t seem to affect her shooting in Chateauroux, France, today.

“I tried to stay calm, cool and collected,” Maddalena said. “Yesterday’s practice wasn’t great, but I was able to put that aside. I knew I had a job to do.”

She will compete in the Women’s 50m Smallbore 3-Position Rifle final wearing the number one bib at the Chateauroux Shooting Center’s Finals Range tomorrow, August 2, at 9:30 a.m. (Paris time).

During qualification, Maddalena only dropped two points in two series of kneeling position, was perfect in both series of prone position and posted 97 and 98 scores in the two series of standing position.

Additionally, during the Women’s 50m Smallbore 3-Position Rifle qualification round, the 32 competitors faced winds gusts of up to 20 m.p.h.

“It was windy, but it was consistent, so it was readable,” Maddalena said. “You have to keep a rhythm and keep ahead of the conditions. I stayed on my toes. The gusts came through, but they didn’t push my body. That’s a big thing. I was able to maintain control of myself, and I all I had to do was stay patient and know when to hold. It all comes with practice and timing.”

Her qualification score of 593-45X was five Xs ahead of second place shooter Qiongyue Zhang of China in the X-count. Both shooters’ scores established a new Olympic record for Women’s 50m Smallbore 3-Position Rifle qualification.

As the number one ranked Women’s 50m Smallbore 3-Position Rifle shooter at the Paris 2024 Olympics after qualification, Maddalena will rely on her shot process and timing during tomorrow’s final.

“It’s a clean slate tomorrow. Everyone starts from zero [during the final],” Maddalena said. “Tomorrow is about what I can control, taking hold of that and riding the high.”

Eight shooters will compete in the Women’s 50m Smallbore 3-Position Rifle event final tomorrow. They are listed below.

1. Sagen Maddalena, 593-45X (United States)
2. Qiongyue Zhang, 593-40X (China)
3. Chiara Leone, 592-29X (Switzerland)
4. Yesugen Oyunbat, 589-40X (Mongolia)
5. Jeanette Duestad, 589-34X, (Norway)
6. Natalia Kochanska, 589-30X (Poland)
7. Nadine Ungerank, 589-27X (Austria)
8. Stephanie Grundsoee, 589-26X (Denmark)

Earlier this week at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Maddalena just missed a podium finish in Women’s 10m Air Rifle, taking fourth place. She expanded about how she dealt with that disappointment in the days prior to competing in today’s Women’s 50m Smallbore 3-Position Rifle qualification round.

“I haven’t really been able to process it fully,” Maddalena said. “It’s a mix of being grateful for the opportunity and happy about the performance, but disappointed and sad about the outcome. So, it’s a mix of emotions. To go out right before the end wasn’t my best outcome, but it was a good performance.”

Check back often with Shooting Sports USA for the latest news and updates from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Learn more about USA Shooting at usashooting.org.

Article by John Parker

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