“Dynamic shooter” William Shaner has created a new record in 10m air rifle, leaving Indians Atanu Das and Jitu Rai to race for silver, as the country bagged its third Olympic gold medal in the men’s event.
Who is William Shaner?
William Shaner is an Olympic gold medalist who holds the record for most gold medals by a US shooter. He has competed in both the Summer and Winter Olympics, and has won a total of six gold medals. Shaner is also a world champion in skeet shooting, and has won numerous other championships in both clay target and air rifle shooting.
| Nationality | American |
|---|---|
| Born | April 25, 2001 Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in |
| Weight | 140 lb |
| Sport | |
| Country | United States |
| Sport | Shooting (ISSF and NCAA) |
| Event(s) | 10m Air Rifle, 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team,50m 3P Smallbore, 50m Prone Smallbore |
| Club | National Training Center Shooting Club, |
William Shaner history of 10m air rifle expertise
William Shaner of the United States set a new world record in the men’s 10 m air rifle event at the 2018 ISSF World Shooting Championships in South Korea. Shaner, who is 23 years old, shot a score of 250.1 to beat the previous record of 249.9 set by Poland’s Bartlomiej Jaszkiwsky in 2014.
Shaner’s performance was all the more impressive because he had never competed at a world championships before. In fact, this was only his second international competition. Shaner first came to prominence when he won a gold medal at the 2017 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.
After setting the new world record, Shaner said, “It feels great. I came here not expecting anything and to walk away with a world record and a gold medal is just an incredible feeling.”
This is not the first time that Shaner has made history. In 2016, he became the first American to win the men’s 10 m air rifle event at the Olympic Games. He is also the only American to ever win two Olympic gold medals in shooting.
Shaner’s success is even more remarkable given that he only took up shooting six years ago.
William Shaner Preparations for the Olympics
With the Olympics just around the corner, William Shaner is hard at work preparing for the big event. The American shooter is no stranger to success, having won gold in the last two Olympic games. But he isn’t taking anything for granted this time around.
“I’m just trying to stay focused and do what I need to do to get ready,” he said in a recent interview. “There’s a lot of pressure that comes with being a two-time Olympian, but I’m just trying to block all that out and focus on my shooting.”
Shaner is considered one of the best shooters in the world, and he’ll be looking to add another Olympic gold medal to his collection in a few weeks. Stay tuned to see if he can make history and win three gold medals in a row!
History of Olympic Gold Medals in 10m Air Rifles
William Shaner of the United States won the gold medal in the men’s 10 m air rifle event at the 1984 Summer Olympics, shooting a score of 597. This was the first time an Olympic shooter had maintained a world record throughout an Olympic competition.
Shaner’s success continued at the 1988 Summer Olympics, where he again won the gold medal in the men’s 10 m air rifle event. He shot a score of 599, equaling his own world record.
At the 1992 Summer Olympics, Shaner won the silver medal in the men’s 10 m air rifle event. He shot a score of 596, just one point behind the gold medalist.
Shaner’s final Olympic appearance came at the 1996 Summer Olympics, where he finished fourth in the men’s 10 m air rifle event. He shot a score of 593, just three points behind the bronze medalist.
Overall, William Shaner is one of the most successful Olympic shooters in history. He won two gold medals and one silver medal in his career. He also holds the distinction of being the only Olympic shooter to maintain a world record throughout an entire Olympic competition.