Gold Medal Winner Hounded About Her Gun

When you become the first US athlete in an individual sport to medal in five consecutive Olympics, online that’s kind of a big deal. As washingtonpostdotcom puts it, order you’re “Olympic royalty. Or should be.” If she was involved in any other sport, she’d be one of the toasts of London right now. “But Rhode, 33, is confronted with questions that few other athletes face because she is a shooter — a term embraced by Rhode and other athletes who shoot rifles and pistols for sport.” Hard to believe someone would actually call themself…a shooter, no? . . .

Here’s the crux of the problem:

Olympic shooters must deal with unfortunate associations: They compete in a sport — one that demands concentration and decades of practice — that also requires a machine that, when used maliciously, can kill people.

Wonder if javelin tossers suffer those same “unfortunate associations.” And we shudder to think what someone with ill intent could do with one of those rhythmic gymnastic wands. Naturally, Rhode was asked about the Midnight Movie Massacre just before her gold medal winning round of skeet earlier in the week.

Most other athletes get a pass on the podium. Swimmer Ryan Lochte won’t be asked about drownings in community pools. Gymnast Gabby Douglas will not be asked to comment on freak accidents at school jungle gyms.-[source]