FORT BENNING, Georgia (March 28, 2019)
Thirteen athletes, including three Olympians, came to the U.S. Army Marksmanship’s Home of Champions in Fort Benning, Georgia and earned their spots for the Pan American Games or two future World Cups during USA Shooting’s Rifle/Pistol Spring Selection Match. Airgun competition concluded Thursday after two days of fierce competition.
This match is selecting the competitors eligible to compete at the upcoming International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cups in Beijing, China and Munich, Germany; as well as for the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru later this summer. Top-two finishers earned Pan American Game Team selection, while top-3 earned World Cup Team spots.
The surprise of the match thus far has to be Miglena Todorova (Miranda, California) earning top honors in Women’s Air Pistol. Todorova is a former competitor for the Bulgarian National Team having last competed for them internationally at the 2006 World Championships. She’s now competing for Team USA and will look to earn USA Shooting an Olympic quota this year as she’s destined for Lima, Peru as a Pan Am Games Team member while also set to compete in the upcoming Beijing and Munich World Cups in preparation for that big match. Todorova joins another former Bulgarian who found much success in the American shooting scene as Emil Milev competed in two Olympic Games for Team USA after starring in three Olympic Games before that with Bulgaria. She earned her spot behind a top qualifying score of 574 she shot Thursday.
Nathalia Tobar (East Northport, New York), a former competitor for Colombia, will join Todorova on the Pan Am Games Team while Alexis Lagan (Boulder City, Nevada), who previously earned an Olympic Quota spot at last year’s Championship of America’s, will compete with
