When the 2008 Olympics begin in Beijing, China this August, shooting will be among the first events to take place, in a number of disciplines.

USAShooting Team athletes will carry their country's first hope for medals-hopes that have been fully realized in years past.
Shooting events in pistol, rifle and shotgun will take place Aug. 8-17.

Several US athletes will compete in more than one event, including Beki Snyder in both Air Pistol and Women's Sport Pistol.
The US Team includes a number of athletes who have competed-and medaled-in past Olympic Games, including Libby Callahan and Kim Rhode. Rhode won gold in double trap in 1996, bronze in the same event in 2000 and gold again in 2004. Callahan, a retired lieutenant with the Washington, DC, police Department has competed in the 1994, 1996 and 2004 Olympic Games. At 56, she is one of the most senior competitors in the game.

Sandra Fong, 18, is from a bona fide sorority of shooters. Her sister, Abby (see picture Page 37), is a member of the National Rifle Team and another sister, Danielle, is a member of the US Paralympic National Team.

The roster of the 2008 USAShooting Team is as follows:

Pistol
10m air pistol ­ Men
Brian Beaman, Selby, SD
Jason Turner, Rochester, NY

10m air pistol ­ Women
Brenda Shinn, Riverside, CA
Beki Snyder, Colorado Springs, CO

25m rapid fire pistol ­ Men
Keith Sanderson, San Antonio, TX

25m sport pistol ­ Women
Libby Callahan, Columbia, SC
Beki Snyder,Colorado Springs, CO

50m free pistol ­ Men
Daryl Szarenski, Saginaw, MI
Jason Turner, Rochester, NY

Rifle
10m air rifle ­ Men
Jason Parker, Omaha, NE
Stephen Scherer, Billerica, MA

10m air rifle ­ Women
Emily Caruso, Fairfield, CT

50m rifle 3-positions ­ Men
Matt Emmons, Browns Mills, NJ
Jason Parker, Omaha, NE

50m rifle 3-positions ­ Women
Jamie Beyerle, Lebanon, PA
Sandra Fong, New York, NY

50m rifle prone ­ Men
Matt Emmons, Browns Mills, NJ
Mike Anti, Winterville, NC

Shotgun
Skeet ­ Men
Vincent Hancock, Eatonton, GA
Sean McLelland, Mission, TX

Skeet ­ Women
Kim Rhode, El Monte, CA

Trap ­ Men
Bret Erickson, Bennington, NE
Dominic Grazioli, San Antonio, TX

Trap ­ Women
Corey Cogdell, Eagle River, AK

Double Trap ­ Men
Glenn Eller, Katy, TX

Jeff Holguin, Yorba Linda, CA

To follow the progress of the US Team, visit their website; usashooting.com.
Photos courtesy USAShooting.