USA Finishes Atop the Medal Standings

Staff Sergeant Ryan Hadden (USAMU/Pendleton, Ore.) began the first day of qualification with a strong 49/50 targets at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Tucson. He continued the fevered pace today dropping just one target all day for 123/125 match targets. Attacking the final with the same ferocity, Hadden shot a perfect final for 148/150 targets at the Tucson Trap and Skeet Club. In his first World Cup medal since the 2010 ISSF World Cup Beijing, Hadden’s 123 targets is a new personal best in ISSF competition.

“Last year was a dry year, so it feels good to be healthy again and on top of the podium,” said Hadden. “My plan is to continue doing what I do; my goal is still to conquer the London World Cup, win the Spring Selection match and continue to win. What I enjoy doing is breaking targets and that’s what I am going to do. I’d like to thank the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, USA Shooting, Krieghoff and my family for all their support.”
“Ryan shot a world class score,” said National Coach Bret Erickson. “Accompanying Ryan’s performance, the Men’s Trap Team looks very strong for the 2016 quadrennial.”
Erminio Frasca of Italy shot 122 match targets to enter the final in second place. He held steady with 22 targets in the final to tie Alexey Alipov of Russia at 144 targets. Fransca, the sixth place finisher at the 2008 Olympic Games, earned the silver medal as he bested Alipov in the shoot-off two to one respectively. Alipov, the 2008 Olympic Games bronze medalist, finished with 121 match targets and 23 targets in the final for the bronze medal in Tucson.
American teammate Jake Turner (Richland, Wash.) impressed the crowd with 97 targets, but had difficulty in his last round shooting 21 targets for 118 targets overall and 11th place. Also shooting for the stars and stripes was Dustin Anderson (Woodstock, Ga.), who shot 115 targets on the day for a 22nd place finish.
The USA finished the ISSF World Cup Tucson with the highest number of overall medals-five to be exact with three gold and two bronze medals. Great Britain finished in second place with a gold medal and Greece was third with a gold medal as well.
The competition began with Kim Rhode (El Monte, Calif.) shooting a new world record in Women’s Skeet qualification with 75/75 targets and winning the gold medal. Teammate Brandy Drozd (Bryan, Texas) joined Rhode on the podium with the bronze medal in her first ISSF World Cup ever. Staff Sergeant Josh Richmond (USAMU/Hillsgrove, Pa.) continued the American momentum with a bronze medal in Men’s Double Trap with a clean 50/50 target final. On Friday Corey Cogdell,(Eagle River, Alaska) made a terrific comeback ascending from fifth to secure the gold medal in Women’s Trap.
Erickson summed up the week as he said, “The Tucson Trap and Skeet Club (TTSC) and Bill Martin delivered a world class venue and stage where four world records were tied and two were broken. The performance by American athletes on American soil shows what an excellent job USA Shooting and its Certified Training Center (TTSC) have put together. As a coach, I’m excited to see what the 2012 Olympic year holds for Team USA, and as a former shooter, I’m excited to come back to Tucson Trap and Skeet Club.”
To catch the finals and highlights, please navigate to the ISSF’s YouTube Channel. For complete results and rankings, please visit the ISSF website.