by Hap Rocketto
He rebounded from the 10 meter prone event but unfortunately Josh Olson fell two points short of making the finals in today’s Mixed 50m Rifle Prone event at the 2012 Paralympics, firing a 587X600. Josh was five points behind the first place qualifying score. He finished 12th in the field but his X count was in the top eight, showing that he was shooting well.
Olson averaged a 98.6 for five of his six strings but faltered on his fourth string, dropping five points, which dropped him out of contention for a finals spot. Had he been able to hold his average he would have moved into the finals just one point off the lead.
Olson’s performance, in his inaugural appearance, bodes well for the future. As he continues to gain experience in the international arena his comfort and confidence level will increase, as will his scores. While it is a bit of a disappointment to all of his many fans that Olson did not medal, has shown all of us what makes a true champion.
About Hap Rocketto
Hap Rocketto is a Distinguished Rifleman with service and smallbore rifle, member of The Presidents Hundred, and the National Guard’s Chief’s 50. He is a National Smallbore Record holder, a member of the 1600 Club and the Connecticut Shooters’ Hall Of Fame. He was the 2002 Intermediate Senior Three Position National Smallbore Rifle Champion, the 2012 Senior Three Position National Smallbore Rifle Champion a member of the 2007 and 2012 National Four Position Indoor Championship team, coach and captain of the US Drew Cup Team, and adjutant of the United States 2009 Roberts and 2013 Pershing Teams. Rocketto is very active in coaching juniors. He is, along with his brother Steve, a cofounder of the Corporal Digby Hand Schützenverein. A historian of the shooting sports, his work appears in Shooting Sports USA, the late Precision Shooting Magazine, The Outdoor Message, the American Rifleman, the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s website, and most recently, the apogee of his literary career, pronematch.com.
