FORT BENNING, Ga. (May 19, 2008) - Maj. Mike Anti and Sgt. 1st Class Daryl Szarenski of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit have qualified for spots on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.
Sgt. 1st Class Jason Parker and Keith Sanderson lead the competition in Men's Three-Position Rifle and Men's Rapid Fire Pistol, respectively, at the Olympic trails that continue this week.
Three-time Olympian Anti will represent the U.S. on his fourth Olympic team, after finishing the Men's Prone event in first place with a total score of 2002.6. Two-time Olympian Sgt. 1st Class Thomas A. Tamas, Anti's U.S. Army Marksmanship teammate, finished close behind in second place with 2001.1.
"I am very excited about making the team, but we have so many good prone shooters in the U.S., so it is kind of a bittersweet victory for me," said Anti. "Sgt. 1st Class Tamas is the best prone shooter I have seen in the world and a very good friend of mine, so it is a little disheartening not to have him on the team as well."
Szarenski will be on the U.S. Men's Free Pistol team. The trip to China will be his third U.S. Olympic competition. He took second place in the Olympic trials with a total score of 1849.3.
Anti will join Matt Emmons, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist in Men's Prone, on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in Men's Prone Rifle.
Two-time Olympian Sgt. 1st Class Jason Parker of the USAMU continues to hold first place in Men's Three-Position Rifle, while Keith Sanderson remains on top in Rapid Fire Pistol.
Parker remains in first place after the second day of the Men's Three-Position Rifle event with a total score of 2546.6. In Men's Rapid Fire Pistol, Sanderson, the 2007 World Cup Munich bronze medalist and Olympic quota slot winner, is in first place again with 1545.2 points.
The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team members for Men's Three-Position Rifle and Men's Rapid Fire Pistol will be determined today.
Over 170 top rifle and pistol shooters from around the United States are competing for spots on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Shooting (Smallbore), May 12 to 22, at the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit's Pool International Shooting Complex. The U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Shooting is a collaborative partnership between the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Shooting.
In smallbore rifle, there is one U.S. Olympic team spot available for Men's Three-Position and there are two spots available in Women's Position. In pistol, there is one spot in Men's Rapid Fire Pistol.
The rifle/pistol athletes will be selected to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team based on a combination of the three days of match scores, plus each athlete's top two finals scores. The USOC has final approval of all U.S. Olympic Team members.
For complete U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Shooting (Smallbore) results, visit www.usashooting.org .
(Mary Beth Vorwerk writes for USA Shooting)
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