Wright Gains Olympic Berth in Small-Bore English Match Shooting

Webster M. Wright III of Annapolis, Md., set a national record in the men’s small-bore English match Friday at the U.S. International Shooting Championships at Prado Regional Park in Chino and was named to the U.S. Olympic team.

Wright, 21, had a three-day score of 1,795 points of a possible 1,800, breaking the record of 1,793 set in 1984 by Ed Edzel.

Wright advanced with eight other competitors to the 10-shot shoot-off, where he finished with a total of 1,898.5 of a possible 1,910. He claimed the only Olympic slot the United States has qualified for in the event.

Glenn Dubis of Ft. Benning, Ga., was second with 1,896.1 points. Ernest Vande Zande of Colorado Springs, Colo., was third with 1,895.7.

In the women’s air rifle competition, Launi Meili of Colorado Springs, Colo., was in first place with 1,183 points of a possible 1,200 after the third of four rounds.

Meili has already qualified for the Olympics in the small-bore standard rifle event.

The competition concludes today. It is held annually to determine national titlists and select shooting teams for the Olympics, Pan American Games, world championships and World Cup.