COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (February 1, 2019)
More than 50 rifle athletes from the United States, Canada, Brazil and Columbia will compete in the Robert Mitchell Rifle Championships February 5 – 10 at the Olympic Shooting Center in Colorado Springs.
The annual Rifle-only match attracts talent from North and South America looking to start the year strong before the 2019 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) and World Shooting Para Sport (WSPS) competition seasons begin. This year’s event will feature four Olympians and three Paralympians in the lineup of athletes.
On the women’s side, look for the duel of athletes who recently faced off against each other at the Championship of the Americas in November in Mexico. Air Rifle gold and silver medalists (pictured) Mindy Miles (Weatherford, Texas) and Ali Weisz (Belgrade, Montana) will compete in both events, as well as Three-Position Rifle gold medalist Sarah Beard (Danville, Indiana/U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit) and bronze medalist Yarimar Mercado Martinez of Puerto Rico. Just a week back from posting top scores at the Meyton and H&N Cups in Europe, look for strong performances from Mary Tucker (Colorado Springs, Colorado) and Sagen Maddalena (Groveland, California) as well. Tucker won silver in Junior Women’s Air Rifle at the Meyton Cup and Maddalena set a National Record in Women’s Air Rifle of 632.2 at the Meyton Cup as well.
The men’s side will showcase its share of talent as well from the Championship of the Americas with Air Rifle gold medalist Dempster Christenson (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) and silver medalist and 2016 Olympian Lucas Kozeniesky (Fairfax, Virginia). Two-time Olympian and 2018 World Championship bronze medalist for Three-Position Rifle Michael McPhail (Darlington, Wisconsin/USAMU) will also compete.
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