Kim Rhode competes in the women's skeet final at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Ranges on March 1, 2017 in New Delhi.
Six-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode successfully defended her gold medal in women’s skeet world cup competition Saturday afternoon in Acapulco, Mexico, leading a Team USA romp that saw all three of its entrants finish among the top four.
Ranked No. 2 in the world, Rhode missed only six of 60 clays to win the Acapulco event for the second time in as many years. She took control of the final round by hitting 26 consecutive targets, then held off a late bid by teammate Caitlin Connor, the 2015 world silver medalist.
Ranked No. 14, Connor scored 53 in the final to collect her fourth world cup silver medal, the first since the Acapulco meet two years ago. Connor was first in qualifying with a score of 72, while Rhode was fourth with 70 hits.
China’s Cao Yu, second after qualifying, claimed the bronze, while Team USA's Katie Jacob, the 2016 junior world champion who is ranked No. 32 in the world, finished fourth.
The first woman to medal in six consecutive Olympic Games, Rhode is a three-time Olympic champion and three-time world championships medalist. Saturday’s gold was her 17th at either a world cup or world cup final, joining six silvers and eight bronzes in her collection. She also has medaled at four Pan American Games, including three golds.
Rhode's gold is Team USA's second in Acapulco, joining Ashley Carroll’s first world cup victory in women’s trap last Sunday. The competition concludes Sunday with men’s skeet, where two-time Olympian Frank Thompson and Will Thomas hope to add to the American medal haul.
