American Sees Silver Slip Away In Rifle Event's Final Shot

U.S. rifle shooter Matthew Emmons has won a bronze medal in the 50-meter three positions rifle event. That may sound like a slight let-down for the man who had been poised to win silver — a horrible final shot of 7.6 dropped him into third place — but it's far better than Emmons' earlier Olympic experiences.

First there was Athens 2004, when he inadvertently fired upon the wrong target.

Then there was Beijing 2008, when he rushed his pacing on his final shot. Instead of winning a gold medal, he missed the bullseye, and the podium.

Emmons, 31, had qualified for the 50m three positions event with the second-best score. And Monday, he had nailed scores of 10.7, 10.6 and 10.5 before shooting a 7.6 on his final shot at London's Royal Artillery Barracks.

Emmons didn't receive a medal in this year's 10m air rifle event, in which he won a gold medal in Beijing. At the Athens Games, he won gold in the 50m prone rifle event.

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