(21 July 1996; Day 02)
After shooting together and "swapping medals" at many matches in Europe, three friends took it to the wire during the shooting competition today at the 1996 Olympic Games. In men's trap, Austalia's Michael DIAMOND (AUS) claimed the gold, while teammates Josh LAKATOS and Lance BADE took the silver and bronze, respectively.
But not without a fight. After the final, LAKATOS and BADE were tied at 147. They went into a sudden-death match and shot 27 targets before BADE missed one and LAKATOS broke his target, capturing the silver.
Competing against teammates for medals puts a different kind of pressure on you, according to LAKATOS. "I could've flipped a coin and been happy. We train together in Colorado all the time. We're really relaxed with each other."
Their different shooting style was evident to spectators. While BADE takes his time in preparing for the shot, LAKATOS usually fires quickly. "I try to get calm, he tries to get pumped," BADE said. "We put on a show for the crowd."
When the three took the victory stand, their closeness and camaraderie were obvious. They were hugging and giving each other high-fives. Their smiles and conversation showed that they were friends as well as competitors.
After he won the gold, DIAMOND was hoisted up on his teammates' shoulders. They were ecstatic not only for his victory, but also because he set an Olympic record and claimed the first medal in shooting for Australia since 1900. DIAMOND stated, "It's an incredible feeling to see your country's flag waving."
"Diamond was just too hard to catch," said LARKATOS. "It was Mike's day. He crushed us. I couldn't lose it to a better guy."
This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Janelle Whateley.
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| More tickets were sold to the competitions of the 1996 Games than to any other Olympic Games or sports event in history. The 8.6 million ticket sales figures topped sales to the Los Angeles and Barcelona Games combined. |