USAMU Olympic Media Day to Be Held July 10
OutdoorHub 06.14.12
The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit will host an Olympic Media Day July 10 at Hook and Pool Ranges. Seven Soldiers from the USAMU have qualified to compete in London this summer. Members of the media will have the opportunity to film, photograph and interview the Soldiers.
Soldiers will conduct live training and be available for interviews following training. Media members will have the chance to shoot the guns similar to the ones Olympians will use in Olympic competition.
This is the final opportunity to talk to the Soldier Olympians before they depart for pre-Olympic training camps. Opening ceremonies for the Olympic Games are July 27.
USAMU Soldiers started earning berths on U.S. Olympic Teams in 1960 and since then the unit has had a representative in every Summer Olympic Games the U.S. has participated in. USAMU has sent numerous gunsmiths, coaches and team officials to the Olympics, in addition to 68 Soldier athletes. USAMU Olympians have earned a total of 23 Olympic Medals, more than half of all U.S. shooting medals won since the inception of the unit
Olympic shooting is the third largest Olympic sport in regard to countries that participate. The U.S. has won the most medals of any country in Olympic shooting history.
For more information and to register, please contact Michael Molinaro at (706) 545-5436 or email Michael.molinaro@us.army.mil. Media registration will close July 3.
OLYMPIC SHOTGUN TEAM
Sgt. Glenn Eller III, 30—Double Trap
- 2008 Olympic Champion in Double Trap
- 2008, 2004 & 2000 Olympian
- Hometown: Katy, Texas
- Joined the Army in September 2006
- Beat nine competitors to make the Olympic Team in Double Trap – Competitors fire their shotguns at two clay targets thrown simultaneously from an underground bunker at speeds up to 55 mph; competitors get one shot per target.
- Will compete in the Olympic Double Trap Competition Aug. 2
Staff Sgt. Josh Richmond, 26—Double Trap
- First-time Olympian
- Hometown: Hillsgrove, Pa
- Joined the Army in October 2004
- Earned his Olympic berth after earning enough points in World Cup competition to automatically qualify prior to Olympic Trials. Competitors fire their shotguns at two clay targets thrown simultaneously from an underground bunker at speeds up to 55 mph.
- Will compete in the Olympic Double Trap Competition Aug. 2
Sgt. Vincent Hancock, 22—Men’s Skeet
- 2008 Olympic Champion in Men’s Skeet
- Hometown: Eatonton, Ga.
- Joined the Army in June 2006
- Beat 32 competitors to make the Olympic Team in Skeet – Competitors fire their shotguns at clay targets thrown from high and low houses at speeds up to 65 mph.
- Will compete in the Olympic Skeet Competition July 30-31.
OLYMPIC RIFLE TEAM
Sgt. 1st Class Eric Uptagrafft, 46—Men’s Prone Rifle
- 1996 Olympian
- Hometown: Spokane, Wash.
- Joined the Army in 1983 and again in 2008
- Earned his Olympic berth after earning enough points in World Cup competition to automatically qualify prior to Olympic Trials. Competitors lie on their stomachs and shoot .22-caliber rifles at targets 50 meters away. The bull’s eye is 10.4 millimeters wide, smaller than a dime.
- Will compete in the Olympic Prone Rifle Competition Aug. 3
Staff Sgt. Michael McPhail, 30—Men’s Prone Rifle
- First-time Olympian
- Hometown: Darlington, Wisc.
- Joined the Army in January 2005
- Beat 66 competitors to make the Olympic Team in Men’s Prone Rifle – Competitors lie on their stomachs and shoot .22-caliber rifles at targets 50 meters away. The bull’s eye is 10.4 millimeters wide, smaller than a dime.
- Will compete in the Olympic Prone Rifle Competition Aug. 3
Sgt. 1st Class Jason Parker, 37—Men’s Three Position Rifle
- 2008, 2004 and 2000 Olympian
- Hometown: Omaha, Neb.
- Joined the Army in January 1997
- Beat 56 competitors to make the Olympic Team in Men’s Three-Position Rifle – In standing, kneeling and prone positions, competitors shoot .22-caliber rifles at targets 50 meters away. The bull’s eye is 10.4 millimeters wide, smaller than a dime.
- Will compete in the Olympic Three Position Rifle Competition Aug. 6.
U.S. PARALYMPIC TEAM
Sgt. 1st Class Josh Olson, 32
- First-time Paralympian
- Hometown: Spokane, Wash.
- Joined the Army in November 1997
- First active-duty Soldier to ever qualify for a Paralympics.
- Was wounded during combat in Iraq in 2003 and lost his right leg.
- Will compete in Paralympic Mixed 10m Air Rifle (R3) Sept. 1 and Paralympic Mixed 50m Prone Rifle (R6) Sept. 4.
