CHATEAUROUX, France — Italy has claimed the inaugural Olympic gold medal in mixed team skeet shooting, narrowly defeating the United States in a thrilling final. The Italian duo, Gabriele Rossetti and Diana Bacosi, edged out the American team with a score of 45-44, marking the first time Vincent Hancock, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, has settled for silver in his distinguished career.
The victory was secured in a dramatic finish, with Rossetti and Bacosi needing to hit at least seven of their last eight targets to avoid a shoot-off. Despite missing one of his four targets, Rossetti, who had previously hit 20 consecutive targets, saw Bacosi deliver the decisive performance with four successful shots to clinch the gold.
Bacosi expressed her joy at the result: “We are absolutely delighted. We have worked a lot and fought for this medal, but we also had fun.”
Hancock, who was competing alongside his student Austen Smith, had to settle for silver. Smith had won bronze in the women’s individual skeet competition the previous day. Reflecting on the competition, Hancock acknowledged the emotional toll on both shooters: “We have both had some pretty emotional days these last couple of days, winning our individual medals. I am just so proud of her for hanging in there for me today. I was trying to do the best I could do – that’s all we can ever do.”
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