Oct. 14, 2014
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Connor Davis of the Kentucky rifle team won a Bronze Medal while representing the United States at the 2014 Rifle Championship of the Americas (CAT) taking place in Guadalajara, Mexico on Tuesday.
Davis shot a total score of 181.9 in the finals.
The American team swept the podium in men’s 10-meter air rifle with Dempster Christenson claiming Gold (206.4 – CAT Games finals record). Ryan Anderson (204.0) and Davis finished second and third respectively.
Match rules were adopted to ensure countries were allowed just two medal winners in each event, so Davis didn’t officially make the podium even though he finished in third place on raw score.
Davis is the defending Individual Air Rifle NCAA Champion. He also competed for the U.S. team at the ISSF World Championships last month after he was National runner-up at the U.S. Championships over the summer. Davis was the 2013 USA Shooting National Champion in 10m air rifle.
The junior earned All-America honors in three events last year – aggregate, smallbore and air rifle and is a five-time All-American over the course of his two-year career at UK.
The CAT Games feature 426 athletes competing from 24 nations including 63 USA Shooting Team members. Earning an Olympic quota in competition ensures the country a spot in that particular event, not necessarily the athlete. Athletes earn the available spots via a point and trials system established by USA Shooting.
The CAT Games occur every four years and is one of the four major international matches during each four-year Olympic cycle (Olympics, World Championships, Pan American Games, and Championships of the Americas). The CAT Games also serve as also a chance for the U.S. team to earn quota slots to be eligible to participate in the Olympics.
The International Shooting Sports Federation, part of the International Olympic Committee, awards a quota slot to a country when their athlete places in the top three spots at a major international competition (CAT, Pan-Am, and World Championships) or wins a World Cup. In order for a country to compete at the Olympics in shooting that country has to earn quota slots. A maximum of two quota slots can be earned by one country per shooting event.
