William Shaner Shoots for the Gold at the Tokyo Olympics
Shaner’s preparation heading into the Olympic games was long and tough, with plenty of practice hours spent at the shooting range, but it all paid off as he clinched gold in the 10m air rifle event. It wasn’t an easy win; Shaner ended up in a tie with China’s Wu Jiaxin, but after 20 shots from each athlete, Shaner came out on top.
William found his passion
Shaner was just eight years old when he picked up his first air rifle and decided to pursue a career in competitive shooting. But it wasn’t until much later, when William began training with coach Mihail Gavrilov, that he discovered that he had what it took to win an Olympic medal. In only a few years under Mihail’s tutelage, William’s world-class skills were honed even further. Since then, William has been hard at work perfecting his craft in hopes of making a good showing at the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics. There is nothing more satisfying than being able to share my passion with others, William says. The feeling I get when someone tells me they started shooting because of me is amazing. That’s why I do what I do—to make a difference in people’s lives. And now William is one step closer to doing just that!
History of shooting sports
William Shaner, who started competing in shooting sports when he was only 11, already has an Olympic gold medal under his belt. He won his first Olympic gold medal in 2012 in London when he won the men’s 10m air rifle event. He is representing America again and is expected to win another gold medal in Tokyo. The US hasn’t had a medalist since 2004; William hopes to change that by bringing home another gold. He is by far America’s most talented marksman and hopes that even with fellow shooter, Frank Mattox on his team, he will bring back home an individual gold as well as a team silver or bronze.
Dedication to his training
William Shaner has been shooting since he was seven years old. The road to an Olympic gold medal wasn’t easy, and it’s all due to dedication, patience, and hard work. He hasn’t taken a day off of training in over 20 years, yet he remains very humble throughout it all. It takes more than skill to be a champion; being mentally strong is just as important. If you don’t want what you have right now (medals) then why are you doing what you are doing? If you can focus on that and ignore everything else – that is what I try to do every day.
Hard work pays off
The US has clinched a gold medal in one of its three shooting events. William Shaner, 24, an active-duty military member, won gold in men’s 10m air rifle. He got a score of 205.3 points during his final run on Saturday, edging out teammate Richard Johnson and Korea’s Na Hyun. It is US’s fourth shooting gold in history and first since 2008 Beijing Olympics. America has taken home 6 medals so far – 1 silver and 5 bronze. In boxing, Islam Makhachev made history by winning Russia’s only medal so far – a bronze – which is also that country’s first Olympic medal in Rio de Janeiro Games.
An Olympic win
Being an Olympian isn’t just about fame and glory. It’s also about sacrifice, hard work, and training. For example, William Shaner is a professional air rifle shooter who was selected to represent Team USA in 2016 by winning a shooting competition. Shaner started competing in air rifle events when he was 13 and spent years practicing to hone his craft. In 2016 he represented Team USA by clinching gold in men’s 10m air rifle event.
Taking the time to enjoy his success
Though William Shaner has made a career out of getting to places like Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro, winning gold in his sport and breaking records along the way, he’s not done yet. On Wednesday, August 9th, Mr. Shaner hopes to add another medal to his impressive resume when he competes in a 10m air rifle event at Rio 2016. Having already spent time in these host cities years earlier—and having won two medals there already—he’s used to experiencing success on a grand scale. It’s also something he has gotten used to after winning gold at multiple Games.