By Brittany Nelson, USAS Public Relations & Communications Manager
SANTIAGO, CHILE (Oct. 28, 2023) – Rachel Tozier claims a bronze medal in Women’s Trap and has secured the final U.S. Olympic shotgun quota for Paris 2024 at the 2023 Pan American Games Oct. 26 in Santiago, Chile.
“It was a huge relief to have earned the quota and gotten the job done,” said Tozier, Staff Sergeant with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. “My qualification score may not have been what I wanted but I am definitely glad to have gotten a medal and quota.”
Tozier shot a qualification score of 115/125, placing her number one among all athletes as she moved into the final. She won bronze after edging out teammate Alicia Gough who finished fourth overall.
Tozier made her second Pan American Games appearance in Santiago, her first being in 2019 in Lima. The Pattonsburg, Missouri, native mentioned that her performance at the 2023 Games had significant changes compared to that of 2019.
“This game gets harder the longer you shoot it,” said Tozier, a 2023 World Championship medalist. “You start thinking about more things and you over analyze. I have learned a lot from this competition, mostly on the mental side of things. I learned to have more faith in myself and to trust my routine and process. I will take that into the World Cup Final.”
Tozier qualified for the 2023 International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup Final in Doha, Qatar, Nov. 18-36. Only the top ten ranked athletes in the world receive invites to the prestigious competition.
“This will be my first time going so I am really excited,” said Tozier, and eight-time ISSF World Cup medalist. “It is a smaller field with the best of the best, so I am looking forward to competing.”
Tozier is on her path to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games next summer. After the U.S. Olympic Trials Part One, Tozier is currently sitting in the number two overall spot for Women’s Trap. Shotgun will have their second and final trials in March of 2024.
USA Shooting athletes topped the podium 18 times at the Pan American Games. Our partners and sponsors, to include The NRA Foundation, Safari Club International, The International Order of T. Roosevelt, Hillsdale College, and The MidwayUSA Foundation, have been a huge support for this successful 2023 Pan American Games Team. Medals include the following:
- Vincent Hancock: Gold, Men’s Skeet
- Sagen Maddalena: Gold, Women’s 10m Air Rifle
- Mary Tucker: Bronze, Women’s 10m Air Rifle
- Rylan Kissell: Silver, Men’s 10m Air Rifle
- Henry Leverett: Bronze, Men’s Rapid Fire Pistol (secured the U.S. an Olympic quota for Paris)
- Rylan Kissell & Mary Tucker: Gold, Mixed 10m Air Rifle Team
- Sagen Maddalena & Gavin Barnick: Bronze, Mixed 10m Air Rifle Team
- Vincent Hancock & Dania Vizzi: Gold, Mixed Skeet Team
- Dustan Taylor & Austen Smith: Bronze, Mixed Skeet Team
- Alexis Lagan: Bronze, Women’s 25m Sport Pistol
- Mary Tucker: Gold, Women’s 50m Smallbore Rifle
- Sagen Maddalena: Silver, Women’s 50m Smallbore Rifle
- Alexis Lagan: Silver, Women’s 10m Air Pistol (secured the U.S. an Olympic quota for Paris)
- James Hall: Silver, Men’s 10m Air Pistol
- Rachel Tozier: Bronze, Women’s Trap Pistol (secured the U.S. an Olympic quota for Paris)
- Tim Sherry: Silver, Men’s 50m Smallbore Rifle
- Lucas Kozeniesky: Bronze, Men’s 50m Smallbore Rifle
- Nick Mowrer & Lisa Emmert Traciak: Bronze, Mixed Team Air Pistol
View all results here: https://results-santiago2023.org/#/discipline/SHO/reports
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