The 2016 Summer Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro are already filling athletes the world over with anticipation. In the United States, a small, elite group of soldiers were honored to be some of the first athletes to be chosen as members of Team USA in September. Now, with the new year right around the corner, another team of top-tier, active-duty soldiers are joining their ranks.
According to the Military Times, Spc. Nathan Schrimsher, a pentathlete with the Army's World Class Athlete Program, earned the honor of being the first American to qualify for his country's team after finishing third in July's Pan American Games. World-class shooters from WCAP, as well as from the Army Marksmanship Unit in Fort Benning, Georgia, were also named as members. One of the double-trap shooters, Sgt. First Class Glenn Eller, will travel to the Olympics for the fifth time in 2016.
Earlier this month, Ammoland – a shooting sports news site – reported that the Army's international shooting teams were practicing for the Olympic qualification trials after four soldiers with the International Pistol and Rifle Teams qualified at the 2015 Winter Airgun-Olympic Trials held in Colorado Springs. Staff Sgt. George Norton of Albuquerque; Sgt. First Class James Henderson of Pasadena, California; Staff Sgt. Greg Markowski, originally from Sycow, Poland; and Spc. Daniel Lowe of Federal Way, Washington will all move on to June's final selection match.
There are still plenty of qualifying events still to come. Pistol shooting is set to begin soon, and wrestling will hold its rounds in Iowa in April. A number of WCAP Greco-Roman grapplers will be in attendance, including 2012 Olympians Sgt. Spenser Mango, Sgt. Justin Lester and Spc. Ellis Coleman.