U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program rifle shooter Sgt. Vincent Hancock proudly displays his Olympic gold medal after winning the shooting competition in men’s skeet at the 2012 Olympic Games. He earned a gold medal in the same event in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, and with this year’s victory became the first shooter to win back-to-back gold medals in the sport.
UPDATE:
In a heartbreaker and with 20 seconds left in priority time (overtime) of the epee bronze medal match, where Air Force Captain Seth Kelsey would have captured the bronze medal, had the bout ended in an 11-11 tie, Jinsun Jung of Korea nicked Kelsey on the foot and took the bronze.
In the finals of the women’s 25m Sport Pistol event, the only woman military Olympian and also the lone USA entrant in the event, Sandra Uptagrafft, finished in 28th place firing a 286 in the precision stage and a 290 in rapid fire for a 576.
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(Original Post):
Yesterday we were proud to see U.S. Army Sergeant Vincent Hancock win the Olympic men’s skeet shooting Gold Medal.
It was not to be, however, for Marine Corps Sgt. Jamel Herring, a 26-year-old electrician with the U.S. Marines who has been deployed twice to Iraq. He saw his bid for Olympic glory in the men’s light weight welter end in the round of 32 at the 2012 Olympics Tuesday.
Marine Corps Sgt. Jamel Herring. USA Boxing, Men’s Light Welter (64kg)
Herring, 26, credits his fancy footwork and quick speed for his success in the boxing ring. A native of Coram, N.Y., he received a silver medal at the 2010 World Military Games, and was named the 2011 Armed Forces Champion, the 2012 USA Boxing National Champion and the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Champion. Herring is assigned to Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The Armed Forces Press Service:
Herring was outskilled from the opening bell and trailed 8-5 after the first round. With a 7-3 second round, [Daniyar] Yeleussinov held a seven-point advantage heading into the third round and was able to switch to a more conservative style.
Trailing 15-8, Herring struggled to chase Yeleussinov around the ring, scoring just one point in the final round.
There is a nice story about this Marine Olympian here.
In other events:
Air Force Captain Seth Kelsey reached the men’s epee semifinals by winning his first-round bout Wednesday over China’s Li Guojie 8-7.
He then scored a huge upset by beating No. 1 seed and former world champion Nikolai Novosjolov of Estonia 15-11 in the round of 16. That put the 17th-seeded Kelsey into the quarterfinals, where he downed Venezuela’s Silvio Fernandez 15-9.
The men’s epee semifinals take place today.
Also getting another shot today in the women’s 25-meter sport pistol event is Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Sandra Uptagrafft who was not able to secure a medal in the 10-meter air pistol event on Monday.
Similarly, Army air pistol shooter Sgt. 1st Class Daryl Szarenski who suffered a similar fate in the opening day of competition July 28, is slated to get another shot in the free pistol event on August 5.
Also, still waiting to perform are our three Army Greco-Roman wrestlers SSgt. Dremiel Byers (below), Sgt. Spenser Mango, and Spc. Justin Lester.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Dremiel Byers. USA Wrestling, Wrestling: Men’s 120 Kg Greco-Roman
As one of the most notable Greco-Roman wrestlers in modern times, Byers, 37, will be returning to the Olympic Games this year. Born in Newark, N.J., and nicknamed “Bam,” he received an animal science degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, N.C. A 10-time U.S. national champion, nine-time U.S. Armed Forces champion and a two-time Olympian, Byers has vast experience in the sport. He placed seventh at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Three more of our Military Olympians:
Army Spc. Dennis Bowsher. Modern Pentathlon, Men’s Modern Pentathlon
Bowsher, 29, began competing in modern pentathlons after seeing a recruitment flyer at a high school swim meet. Today, he is a resident athlete at the U.S. Olympic complex in Colorado Springs, Colo. Among his accomplishments, Bowsher received gold medals at the USA Pentathlon Senior National Championships in 2007, 2009 and 2011. His hobbies include movies and video games.
Army Staff Sgt. Michael McPhail. USA Shooting, Men’s 50m Rifle Prone
After learning to shoot at age 16, McPhail has spent the past 14 years refining his craft. Now 30, the Darlington, Wis.-native has set his eye on Olympic gold. Among his many marksmanship accomplishments, McPhail received the bronze medal in prone at the 2008 Beijing World Games; was a 2007 Pan American Games silver medalist and quota slot winner in prone; and was the 2006 World Championships gold medalist in team prone and bronze medalist in team three-position. He is assigned to Fort Benning, Ga.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason Parker. USA Shooting, Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions
A member of the U.S. marksmanship unit, Parker, 38, began shooting in 1988. He participated in the Summer Olympics in 2000 placing fifth in air rifle; in 2004 placing eighth in air rifle; and then again in the 2008 games in Beijing. Parker received a psychology degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati in 1996. He enjoys participating in hunting, fishing and triathlons in his spare time
Sources and photos: Armed Forces Press Service
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.