Lima 2019: USA hit the target with double shooting gold

The USA dominated the second day of shooting Para sport competition at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games with gold medals in both of Sunday’s events.

Michael Tagliapietra won the mixed 25m sport pistol SH1 and Taylor Farmer took the top prize in the mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1.

Tagliapietra shared how significant and special this victory was for him.

“In 2016, my family was supposed to come to the Paralympic Games in Rio and support me. Unfortunately they could not make the trip because my mother was battling cancer and going through chemo treatments. After Rio, I took two years off from competing to be with family and support my mother. Her battle went on for two years and unfortunately in July of 2018 we lost her to this horrible disease.

"After a challenging two years, I came back to competition in 2019. Lima was a very successful event for me, but also very emotionally challenging. My mother was not able to see me in Rio, but my success at the Parapans in Lima was dedicated to her. This was a special event that I will always cherish."

Brazil’s Geraldo Rosenthal took silver in the mixed 25m sport pistol SH1, his second medal at Lima 2019, followed by Cuba’s Yenigladys Suarez with bronze.

Peru also had a lot to celebrate with Jorge Arcela taking the silver medal behind Farmer to give the hosts their first shooting medal of the Lima Games. The USA’s Kevin Nguyen took bronze.

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ⒸLima 2019

“I am happy because I won a medal at the Las Palmas Air Base, where I once did military service with the Peruvian Air Force in the Land Operations group,” Arcela said. 

“I am very happy, cheerful, motivated, and proud of everything.”

Full schedule and results are available on the Lima 2019 website.