First Woman to Medal in 6 Olympics

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TO THE CITY OF RIO DE JANEIRO Stumped about what to do with her hands, Kim Rhode stood at the base of the Olympic podium. She loosened the sleeve of her shirt, dropped her arms to her sides, and tucked in the shirt’s hem.

She looked over the throng and focused in on a young boy with mop hair who was perched on a man’s shoulders and waving madly at her. As Rhode returned the wave, a broad grin spread across her face.

What Rhode had endured in the four years since London—the anguish, the heartache, the emotional toll—was all worthwhile for this one moment.

Diana Bacosi, an Italian shooter, triumphed with gold.

Rhode had Something Much More Priceless than Olympic Gold: Her Son Carter was there to Witness it.

On Friday, Rhode won bronze in women’s skeet at the Rio de Janeiro Games, making her the first woman and the second athlete ever to win an individual medal in six consecutive Olympics.

The sight of her son looking up at her and hearing him call out “mommy” brought tears to Rhode’s eyes as she talked.

Bacosi won the gold medal match against Chiara Cainero, also from Italy, by scoring 15 out of a possible 16 points.

In contrast, Rhode was the focus of attention as she finished off an unprecedented streak that began with her double trap gold medal performance in the 1996 Atlanta Games, when she was just 17 years old.

Rhode is one of only two athletes in history to do so, the other being Italian luger Armin Zoeggeler. She is one of just five athletes in history to win a medal at six separate Olympic competitions, and she holds the record for most Olympic medals won by a female shooter with six.

Kimberly is the best female shooter, according to Cainero. She made history, and I was privileged to witness it.

Following her bronze medal performance in Atlanta, Rhode went on to win gold in Athens, silver in Beijing, and gold once more in London.

Once the London Games were Over, Rhode’s Life was Plagued with Pain and Suffering.

She competed there while she was still unaware of her pregnancy, and the last four months of her pregnancy were so difficult that she was nearly bedridden. An emergency operation to remove Carter’s gall bladder six weeks after his birth in 2013 only added to the already existing issues.

For months, Rhode was in constant discomfort and unable to perform much of anything (her son and gun both weighted more than 5 pounds).

The issues Never Seemed to End.

Six of Rhode’s buddies passed away after London. Mike Harryman, her husband, had two hospital stays due to diverticulitis. Her dad had a leg break right before she departed for the world championships.

Rhode persisted through the anguish, slowly building her stamina with a regimen of a few shots every day and finally approaching the thousand rounds she had previously endured before her health problems began.

Rhode landed in Rio with all eyes on her as the shooting community and beyond watched her attempt to make history.

Qualification was simple for her. Rhode had to win a shootout with the Chinese player Wei Meng and the American teammate Morgan Craft in order to play for bronze. She prevailed, continuing her search for the past.

The Drama wasn’t Over Yet.

When Rhode missed a target in the first round of the shoot-off, it seemed like her aspirations of winning the bronze medal had been crushed. Right behind her, Wei whiffed.

With unwavering concentration, Rhode continued to score. Rhode pumped her fist, raised her arms, and glanced toward her loved ones in the stands as Wei continued to miss on her fourth round.

Rhode, who has already committed to competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, explained, “Every emotion strikes you at once.”

Final Words

“You’re at a loss for what to do first—run, yell, or cry. The gold, silver, or bronze medals are all equally valid. What matters is the trip, and as you can see, mine was extremely difficult and deeply moving. Still feeling emotional.”

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