USA Shooting marks a historic milestone in April as it celebrates 30 years as the national governing body for international shooting sports within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. “These three decades represent not just organizational longevity, but a remarkable journey of athletic excellence, grassroots development and competitive innovation,” said Kelly Reisdorf, CEO of USA Shooting. “From our humble beginnings to becoming a global medal powerhouse, we’ve built a legacy that honors precision, discipline and the uniquely American competitive spirit that defines our sport.”
Since its 1995 founding, USA Shooting has guided American competitive shooters to 36 Olympic and Paralympic medals. “The trajectory of American competitive shooting has been defined by both winning at the highest levels and developing tomorrow’s champions,” said Tim Rupli, chairman of USA Shooting. “What makes these 30 years truly special is how we’ve cultivated American talent while championing the values of precision, discipline and patriotic excellence that our shooting sports represent on the world stage.”
Legacy Of Champions
The organization’s three-decade journey has produced shooting sports legends whose accomplishments transcend the sport itself. Olympic icons like Kim Rhode, a six-time Olympic medalist competing across six different games, and Vincent Hancock, who made history at the Paris 2024 Olympics by becoming the first shooting athlete to win four gold medals in the same event, have established American dominance on the international stage.
The legacy extends to pioneering coaches like Lloyd Woodhouse, whose 23-year leadership of the U.S. shotgun team produced 10 Olympic medals across four games and earned him recognition as the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Coach of the Year in 2003—the only shooting coach ever to receive this honor.
From Amateur Act To Global Force
USA Shooting’s formation traces back to the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, which initially established the NRA as the governing body for shooting sports. The mid-1980s saw the establishment of the U.S. Olympic Shooting Center and Olympic Shooting Park in Colorado Springs, Colo., creating a permanent home for the U.S. Shooting Team. By April 1995, USA Shooting was officially chartered as the independent National Governing Body, beginning its three-decade journey.
USA Shooting remains focused on the future—particularly the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which will mark the first Summer Olympics on American soil in more than three decades.
“Having the summer Games return to the United States presents an unprecedented opportunity to showcase our sport and athletes to a home audience,” Reisdorf added. “With our pipeline of both emerging talent and veteran competitors, we’re positioning USA Shooting for its most successful Olympic cycle in our history.”
Read the full article here