USA Shooting Nominates Jamie Beyerle to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team

Beyerle celebrates her ISSF World Cup Final victory. Photo courtesy of the ISSF.

USA Shooting is pleased to announce that 2008 Olympian Jamie Beyerle (Lebanon, Pa.) has qualified for a nomination to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team pending approval by the United States Olympic Committee. Upon approval, Beyerle will be competing in her second consecutive Olympic Games in Women’s 50m Rifle Three Position. At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Beyerle finished fourth in Women’s 10m Air Rifle and fifth in Women’s 50m Rifle Three Position. After strong performances in 2010 and 2011, Beyerle has solidified her reputation as a front runner for Olympic gold and is currently the top ranked Women’s 50m Rifle Three Position shooter in the world. Following the 2008 Olympic Games, USA Shooting adopted a point selection procedure for athletes to gain an Olympic nomination. Points are awarded based on competition performance at International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cups and World Championships.

Beyerle began her quest for London 2012 in 2010 at the second International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Sydney, Australia, with a silver medal in Women’s 50m Rifle Three Position. Beyerle shot 579 match points and followed it up with a strong final of 101.2 points for a total of 680.2 points. Shortly thereafter, Beyerle climbed the podium in Fort Benning, Ga., at the ISSF World Cup USA. With 591 match points and 96.7 points in the final, Beyerle set a new national record for a high match score and tied her previous record of 687.7 match and final points. She picked up a few more points at the ISSF World Cup Belgrade with 582 match points and 95.9 points in the final for a seventh place finish. At the 2010 World Shooting Championships, Beyerle became the third American athlete to win an Olympic quota for Team USA in London 2012. Seeded low in the final with a qualification score of 582 points, she gained a leg up on a competition with a 10.7 point tenth shot to move from seventh to fifth place to grab one of five quotas awarded. Though it didn’t count toward her U.S. Olympic point selection total, Beyerle delivered a rock solid performance of 590 qualification points and 100.7 points in the final to win the gold medal and the Champions trophy at the ISSF World Cup Final in Munich, Germany.

Beyerle’s name appeared in every Women’s 50m Rifle Three Position ISSF World Cup final she shot in 2011. Again, starting off this year in Sydney, Beyerle commanded the competition with 589 match points and 96.3 points in the final for a total of 685.3 points. She surged ahead in the U.S. Olympic selection points with another gold medal at her home range in Fort Benning, Ga., at the 2011 ISSF World Cup USA. Situated in the middle of the final with 585 match points, Beyerle reminded her competitors and the crowd that it’s not over until the last shot. With perfect execution, she fired a deep 10.8 point tenth shot for a gold medal victory by just one-tenth of a point to finish with 683.2 total points. In June, she finished fourth at the ISSF World Cup Munich with 585 qualification points and 97.2 points in the final for 682.2 points.

National Rifle Coach Major Dave Johnson said, “Jamie has continued her march to the top of our sport. In the last 12 months, Jamie has earned three gold medals in World Cups and placed in the top five in two more starts. Her performance has earned her a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team as one of the best in the world. Congrats to her–her determination, discipline, and smart hard work is continuing to pay off.”

“It is an honor to be nominated to represent the United States in the 2012 Olympic Games. I would not have that honor without the support of USA Shooting and Coach Dave Johnson as well as the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit and Coach Tom Tamas, who have all helped me to achieve my goals thus far. With support from ELEY and the rest of USA Shooting’s sponsors I am excited to work hard to have a successful Olympic Games. I am also lucky to have a very supportive group of people around me including my family and fiancé. I would like to thank all of the people who have played a part in my success,” said Beyerle in regard to her 2012 Olympic nomination. USA Shooting would like to congratulate Jamie Beyerle on breaking the point threshold with consistent medal-winning performances.

To learn more about Olympic shooting and Jamie Beyerle, please visit the USA Shooting website.