Olympic Gold for Army PFC Vincent Hancock

Olympic Gold for PFC Vincent Hancock

U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit shotgun shooter Pfc. Vincent Hancock set two Olympic records and prevailed in a four-target shoot-off against Norway's Tore Brovold to win the gold medal in men's skeet on the Beijing Shooting Range.

Hancock, 19, of Eatonton, Ga., shot an Olympic record 121 of a possible 125 targets in five qualification rounds and took a one-target lead into the final. During the final, Hancock missed his 20th shot and finished regulation tied at 145 with Brovold, who shot a perfect round to force the shoot-off.

Hancock was born in Port Charlotte, Fla., and began shooting at age 8. Before his 11th birthday, he was shooting competitively. At age 16, he began rewriting the skeet record books.

Before graduating in 2006 from Gatewood High School in Georgia, Hancock joined the Army and completed Basic Training at Fort Sill, Okla. Later that year, he was named International Sports Federation Shooter of the Year and Shooter of the Year by USA Shooting, the sport's governing body in the United States.

Hancock, who was assigned to the USAMU in November of 2007, established the skeet world record with a perfect score of 150 at a World Cup event in Lonato, Italy, on June 14, 2007. He also won the bronze medal at the 2007 World Championships and was named Shotgun Shooter of the Year by USA Shooting.

Congratulations, PFC Hancock!