DPA
Paris
American Vincent Hancock won a historic fourth Olympic gold with a win in the men’s skeet shooting at the Paris Games on Saturday.
He now joins a very exclusive group of six other athletes who won four golds in the same individual event, including compatriots Michael Phelps (swimming) and Carl Lewis (athletics).
“It sounds pretty good. It’s like a dream come true... again. It feels awesome. I couldn’t ask for any better,” he said.
“It’s pretty awesome. Carl Lewis is probably my favourite Olympian and I’ve been lucky enough to watch Michael Phelps at a few Olympics I’ve been at.
“He’s an incredible athlete. Knowing my name is with their names... I have no words.” Hancock also won gold in the men’s skeet in Beijing, London and Tokyo.
“This was the hardest one yet. It seems like every time it gets harder,” he said.
The US also took silver through Conner Lynn Prince, while bronze went to Meng Yuan Lee of Taiwan.
Skeet sees competitors shoot flying clay targets with shotguns.
US swimmer Katie Ledecky has the opportunity to join Hancock in winning four individual gold medals in the same event later in the women’s 800-metre freestyle final.
Yang survives late challenge to win women’s pistol gold South Korea’s Yang Jiin survived a late challenge from French athlete Camille Jedrzejewski to clinch women’s Olympic 25 metres pistol shooting gold.
Yang took the lead early but Jedrzejewski fought back and drew level with Yang in the penultimate round when she hit the target four times to Yang’s three from five attempts.
They remained tied in the final round before Yang prevailed after all in the extra series for her biggest career success and South Korea’s third gold from five women’s events at the Chateauxroux shooting centre.
“It is my first Olympics and I am very honoured to win gold. I am very proud that our nation’s flag will be the highest,” Yang said.
“This gold medal has proved I am the world’s best right now. I will have to train harder to try to put the flag highest once again in LA (2028 Olympic Games).” The bronze went to Hungary’s Veronica Major, while India’s Manu Bhaker narrowly missed a third Games bronze in fourth place.
