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U.S. shooter Amber English hits 56 of 60 targets to win skeet gold

U.S. shooter Amber English hits 56 of 60 targets to win skeet gold
Posted at 1:43 AM, Jul 26, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-26 03:18:12-04

Amber English outlasted defending champion Diana Bacosi of Italy and world record-holder Wei Meng of China to win the women's skeet competition Monday.

Bacosi held a one-shot lead through the middle of the contest but missed a couple of times down the stretch while English stayed consistent. The 31-year-old U.S. shooter's final score of 56 out of a possible 60 is three points off the world record held by Meng.

Meng, who hit 46 of 50 shots in the final to take bronze, led the qualifying rounds with a score of 124 of a possible 125. Bacosi was second with a score of 123. English was tied for fifth after missing three shots on the first day of qualifying but knocked down 49 of 50 on the second day to finish with 121 and make the six-shooter final.

English, a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, was ranked 24th in June despite a third-place finish in the 2018 World Championships. 

U.S. women have now earned medals in this event in four consecutive Olympics. Kim Rhode won silver in 2008, gold in 2012 and bronze in 2016.