Vincent Hancock Secures Historic Fourth Olympic Gold in Skeet Shooting
Troy University grad Vincent Hancock secures his fourth Olympic gold medal in men's skeet shooting, joining an elite list of U.S. athletes.
@ReadWhatRickWrote 
Troy University alumnus Vincent Hancock achieved an extraordinary feat on Saturday at the Paris Olympics, hitting his final 26 targets in the men's skeet shooting final to secure his fourth individual gold medal in the same Olympic event, a record shared by only three other U.S. athletes.
Hancock's journey to this historic moment includes gold medals from the Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Tokyo 2021 Olympics. Despite a setback at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Games, where he finished 15th, Hancock's resilience led him back to the top of the podium in Paris.
Joining the ranks of Al Oerter (discus, 1956-1968), Carl Lewis (long jump, 1984-1996), and Michael Phelps (200m individual medley, 2004-2016), Hancock stands as one of the few to achieve four consecutive Olympic golds in the same event. This remarkable accomplishment is shared by Denmark's Paul Elvstrom in firefly/finn sailing (1948-1960) and Cuba's Mijain Lopez in Greco-Roman wrestling (120/130 kg, 2008-2021).
Competing at the Chateauroux Shooting Center, Hancock excelled in the final stages. Initially, he was the only finalist to achieve a perfect 20-for-20 in Stage 1, while Peru's Nicolas Pacheco Espinosa was eliminated. In Stage 2, Hancock's trainee, Conner Lynn Prince, took an early lead, hitting all 20 targets, with Hancock trailing after missing two shots.
As the competition intensified, Sweden's Stefan Nilsson and Italy's Tammaro Cassandro were eliminated, leaving Prince, Hancock, and Chinese Taipei's Lee Meng-yuan to vie for the medals. Despite an early lead, Lee missed two shots, securing a bronze medal.
Prince maintained his lead until the final rounds when he missed a crucial shot, allowing Hancock to overtake him by hitting his remaining targets flawlessly. Hancock finished the finals with an impressive 58 hits out of 60, securing the gold medal.
In the qualifying rounds, Hancock was not without challenges, missing two targets but still making it to the finals in fourth position. His flawless performance on Friday, going 75-for-75, set the stage for his historic win.
Vincent Hancock's achievement makes him the only skeet shooter to win multiple Olympic gold medals in individual competition, cementing his legacy in the sport.
