By Brittany Nelson, USAS Public Relations & Communications Manager
CHATEAUROUX, France (July 31, 2024) – Derrick Mein, of Paola, Kansas, finished fifth overall in Men’s Trap at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, July 29. All four trap athletes have finished their Olympic competition at the Chateauroux Shooting Range in France.
Mein, the 2022 World Champion, worked his way up to qualify for the final, where only the top six shooters compete for the coveted Olympic medals.
After the first qualification day, Mein shot a total of 75 targets and finished with a score of 72 landing him in the 12th place spot. On the second qualification day, Mein shot a perfect 50 out of 50 targets. His spectacular performance landed him in a three-way tie for 6th place. Mein battled it out in a shoot off to earn his fifth place finish and a spot in the final. View official scores here.
Mein earned fifth place after beating James Willet, of Australia, who finished sixth. Mein saw a drastic improvement from his last Olympic performance in Tokyo 2020 where he finished 24th overall. Mein has seen great success since the Tokyo Games. He most recently earned gold in Men’s Trap and bronze in Men’s Trap Team at the 2024 Championship of the Americas (CAT). At the 2023 ISSF World Championship he earned gold in Men’s Trap Team and silver in Mixed Trap Team.
Will Hinton, of Dacula, Georgia, made his Olympic debut in Men’s Trap at the Paris Games. He shot a score of 116/125 and finished 27th overall. Hinton, a 2023 ISSF World Championship Men’s Trap Team gold medalist, is a Staff Sgt. in the U.S Army Marksmanship Unit. He represented the Army in Paris alongside Staff Sgt. Rachel Tozier.
Tozier, a Pattonsburg, Missouri native, also made her Olympic debut in Paris. The 2023 Pan American Games bronze medalist competed in Women’s Trap. She shot a score of 116/125 and finished in 18th place.
Ryann Phillips, of Gail, Texas, joined the duo as a first time Olympian in Paris. Phillips, a 2024 CAT Games two-time medalist, shot a score of 116/125 and finished in 16th place.
The skeet team is getting ready to start their Olympic competition on Aug. 2.
View the full schedule of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games here.
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