RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil- Sgt. 1st Class Michael McPhail, from the US Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU), had his second Olympic turn Aug 12, when he joined 47 of the best rifle shooters on the planet competing in the men's 50 meter prone event at the Deodoro Olympic Shooting Center.
As the professional Soldier he is, McPhail was the first competitor at the range and started checking his lane and his equipment.
"Anything you want to do, if you want to be the best in the world in anything, you have to work harder than anyone else," he said in a recent interview.
McPhail had a very strong start in the competition. His first 2016 Olympic shot scored 10.8 points. The maximum possible shot is worth 10.9 points.
As the fierce competition progressed, the Army Olympian continued with a solid performance, and with less than 10 minutes left, he achieved a 513.9 score.
After 60 shots, he achieved a score of 622 points, which unfortunately was not enough to pass to the finals in a sport with a margin of error measured in millimeters.
"At the Olympics Games you never know what to expect. You are competing against the best in the world, so the slightest mistakes are amplified on the world stage," said the Darlington, Wisconsin native, shortly after the match.
After taking some time to reflect on the results, the Army Olympian realizes there are things that he could have done different.
"Looking back you always have 20/20 vision, so there is certainly room for improvement. However, right now I am trying to enjoy the rest of the Olympics and then figure out a plan for the future later," added McPhail.
Sgt. 1st Class Jason Parker, USAMU Rifle Team coach and a four time Olympian, was closely watching the match from the stands.
"McPhail is an extremely tough competitor. He is a very good noncommissioned officer in the US Army. I know he will bounce back from this and will be even stronger," said Parker as he explained that moments like these are the ones that demonstrate the true spirit of an Army-Olympian competitor.
"He trained hard, worked hard and did everything right," added Parker, while explaining that the natural results of McPhail's efforts was to win a medal.
At the men's 50 meter prone event, shooters use a .22-caliber rifle with a maximum weight of 17 pounds. The center of the target is positioned at two and a half feet above the floor and its total diameter measures six inches across.
During the qualification round every competitor has to fire 60 shots within 50 minutes. The qualifications are scored in decimal points. The maximum qualification score is 654.0 points.
The top-eight athletes from the qualification phase advance to the final match.
"I will certainly take all the lessons learned from these Olympic Games and apply them to the next one," added McPhail clearly expressing interest in continue training for Tokyo 2020.
Social Sharing