They haven't gone viral like pommel horse guy or Turkey's too-cool-for-school shooter, but U.S. military athletes have been making their mark on this year's Olympic games in Paris.
Team USA's 95 Olympic medals so far this year includes two won by U.S. service members as the games enter their final few days.
Army Capt. Samantha Sullivan was part of the U.S. women's rugby team that stunned in a 14-12 upset victory over Australia and took home a bronze medal, the first ever U.S. medal in rugby sevens.
Read Next: As the Gaza Pier Is Packed Up, Experts Worry About What It Portends for a War in the Pacific
Meanwhile, Army Sgt. Sagen Maddalena won a silver medal in the women's 50-meter rifle three-position competition.
The U.S. military typically sends a handful of athletes to the Olympics. The largest representation often comes from the Army because of its World Class Athlete Program, which fosters soldiers who want to compete in international sporting events, and Marksmanship Unit, a similar program specifically for shooting competitions.
This year's contingent of military Olympians hails entirely from the Army, with three from the Army World Class Athlete Program and four from the Army Marksmanship Unit. In addition to the athletes, three coaches are also soldiers from the World Class Athlete Program.
Sullivan, the member of the bronze-winning rugby team who was competing in her first Olympics, started playing the sport during her freshman year at West Point , according to an article published by the Army .
Playing in the Olympics despite injuries in her hip and shoulder, she scored in games against Japan, Brazil and Great Britain, according to the article.
"I'm still in kind of a daze from the amazing accomplishment we had here," Sullivan, an engineer officer, said in the article. "Leading into [the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games], our ultimate goal is going to be winning gold in front of the home crowd. I'm just going to continue to grow the game and continue to share my story as a soldier leading up to the next Olympics."
Maddalena, who won the silver in shooting, previously competed in the Tokyo games in 2021, but took home her first Olympic medal this year and became the first American to medal in her event since 2012.
The path to a silver medal was a rollercoaster for Maddalena, who serves as a marksmanship instructor at Fort Moore , Georgia. At various points in the competition, she held first, third, fourth and fifth place, but ultimately secured second place by besting China, according to a Defense Department article .
In a video released by the Defense Department in July, Maddalena said her goal for the Olympics was to get a medal.
"It's the competition that I really enjoy, but it's also bringing the world together that's fascinating to me," she said of why she was drawn to the Olympics.
In addition to Maddalena and Sullivan, the soldiers at the Olympics and their sports were:
- Staff Sgt. Rachel Tozier, shooting
- Staff Sgt. Will Hinton, shooting
- Sgt. Ivan Roe, shooting
- Staff Sgt. Leonard Korir, track and field marathon
- Spc. Kamal Bey, Greco-Roman wrestling
- Master Sgt. Dennis Bowsher, modern pentathlon coach
- Sgt. 1st Class Spenser Mango, wrestling coach
- Staff Sgt. Samuel Kosgei, track and field coach
While the Olympics closing ceremony is Sunday, service members will still have more chances to go for the gold this year. A few military athletes are also participating in the 2024 Paralympic Games from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8. They are:
- Sgt. 1st Class John Wayne Joss III, shooting
- Staff Sgt. Kevin Nguyen, shooting
- Sgt. 1st Class Elizabeth Marks, swimming
Related: How US Service Members and Veterans Can Watch Live Olympic Games Coverage for Free
Most Popular
Comments / 0