Pan American Games 2023: Canada's Tugrul Ozer takes men's 10m air pistol gold and Games record, obtaining Paris quota
The Canadian achieved the perfect trio as he battled Team USA's James Hall in close a close competition for the continental gold
Shooting
It was a North American battle as Canada's Tugrul Ozer and Team USA's James Hall ping-ponged the lead between themselves throughout the men's 10m air pistol final Thursday (26 October) at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, until the Canadian took it all, securing a quota to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, a new Games Record, and the gold medal.
"I focused on the technique and the process," Ozer told Olympics.com after stepping down from the podium.
Ozer asserted his dominance off the bat, hitting three 10 point rings in-a-row to close the gap between him and Hall and take the lead after the sixth series. The top spot of the leaderboard bounced between the two men, until the Canadian took the lead for good with four series to go.
The two finished with just a 1.2 point gap.
Tugrul Ozer de Canada participates in the men's 10m air pistol final competition during the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games at the Shooting Range in Pudahuel, Santiago, Chile.
The crowd was very vocal as the two North American athletes were neck-and-neck until the bitter end.
Ozer has a pre-competition ritual, where on the night before he goes for a long walk and attempts to mentally simulate that pressure that he will feel the following day to ease the nerves when it counts.
Reigning Pan American Champion, Brazil's Felipe Almeida Wu, took the bronze with a 24-point defecit behind the American silver medallist.
This is Ozer's first major international win, and the combination of the gold, quota and Games record made it all that much sweeter. The 36-year-old stood proud while his flag was hoisted on a beautiful blue-skied day in Santiago.
The women's competition kicked off shooting's day of competition Thursday, and Mexico's reigning Pan American champion Alejandra Zavala took the title for the women, also obtaining a quota to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Alejandra Zavala from Mexico celebrates her victory in the final
the women's 10m air pistol final competition during the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games at the Shooting Range in Pudahuel, Santiago, Chile.
Team USA's Alexis Lagan took second to the Mexican, after holding the lead for the first half of the competition. The Tokyo 2020 Olympian will have more opportunities to secure her own quota to the upcoming Olympics.
Women's trap rounded out the day with independent athletes Adriana Ruano and Ana Soto taking first and second, with Team USA's Rachel Tozier finishing in third.
Ruano obtained the quota for women's trap.
National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective NOC teams at the Olympic Games. Athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.