‘I never thought I would be here’ | Central Georgia native makes history with 4th gold medal victory in Paris
‘I never thought I would be here’ | Central Georgia native makes history with 4th gold medal victory in Paris
Vincent Hancock, a skeet shooter from Eatonton, became one of six other Olympians to ever win four gold medals in one event
PARIS, France — One Central Georgia athlete just made history.
Vincent Hancock, a skeet shooter and now five time Olympian, won his fourth gold medal on Saturday.
The Eatonton native’s win placed him in a small group. He’s only one of six Olympians to ever win four gold medals in the same event.
Four time gold medalists in one event
- USA’s Al Oerter – Discuss
- Denmark’s Paul Elvstrom – Sailing one-person class
- USA’s Carl Lewis – Long jump
- USA’s Michael Phelps – 200m individual medley
- Cuba’s Mijain Lopez – Greco-Roman heavyweight
- USA’s Vincent Hancock – Men’s Skeet
“It is an honor honestly to have my name in with every one of those guys,” Hancock said. “I never thought that I would be there. When I started, my goal was just one (gold) and now knowing the names I am there with means a lot to me. It is special.”
Hancock previously won in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the 2012 Olympics in London and in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. This makes him a back-to-back gold medalist.
“There was such a flood of emotions afterwards that I could barely even stand up,” Hancock said. “I was almost in tears at the end of it. There was just so much going on. To have my wife Rebekah, my mom, and my daughters here was special.”
Hancock, however, wasn’t alone on the podium.
Conner Prince placed second and earned silver in his Olympic debut. He was one point shy of Hancock, as the pair made history as its the first time the U.S. has earned more than one medal in men’s skeet at an Olympic Games. This was also the first time more than one U.S. athlete competed in an Olympic Men’s Skeet final.
“This is a dream,” Prince said. “It doesn’t not feel real. I couldn’t be any happier and blessed.”
Hancock teaches and trains Prince at the Northlake Shooting Sports range in Northlake, Texas, where he now lives. It meant the world for Hancock to win with his protege.
“I am so happy for Conner,” Hancock said. “For us to have talked about going one and two for so many years now for it to come to fruition is awesome.”
Hancock scored 58 points, while Prince sat one point behind with 57. Both blew out the competition, as M.Y. Lee from the Chinese Taipei placed third with 45 points.
Hancock’s other student, Austen Smith, earned a bronze medal in women’s skeet on Sunday. This is the first time she’s medaled in the Olympics in her career.
Smith and Hancock will compete one final day on Monday, Aug. 5 as USA team one in the mixed team skeet competition. Prince, meanwhile, will compete with Dania Vizzi on USA team two.