On Aug. 3, Vincent Hancock won his fourth Olympic gold medal in men’s skeet shooting, making him only the sixth man to win four gold medals in the same event. On Aug. 5, he won silver alongside Austen Smith in mixed skeet shooting to claim his fifth Olympic medal.
Hancock, who was born in Florida but grew up in Eatonton, Ga., was the first skeet shooter to repeat as Olympic champion when he won his second gold medal in London in 2012. He failed to medal in Rio in 2016, but came back to win gold again in Tokyo in 2021. Now, he’s won his fourth gold and his fifth overall medal, making him one of the most decorated shooters of all time.
Hancock is the eighth Olympian to ever win four gold medals in a single event. His name now stands in history alongside legends like swimmer Michael Phelps and track and field athlete Carl Lewis.
“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.”
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Hancock stood on the podium alongside one of his students, Connor Prince, who he trained at his Northlake Shooting School. The two blew away the competition, with Prince earning 12 more points than the third place athlete. The occasion also marked the first time two Americans had competed in the skeet final. Prince had a great performance for his Olympic debut, earning silver and finishing only one point behind his mentor with 57 points to Hancock’s 58.
“This is a dream,” Prince said. “I couldn’t be any happier and blessed.”
Hancock must be a pretty good teacher, as Prince wasn’t the only student of his to medal. Hancock’s student Austen Smith already won a bronze medal in women’s skeet shooting, but on Aug. 5 she and Hancock won a silver in the first-ever mixed skeet shooting. The two fell to Italians Diana Bocosi and Gabriele Rossetti 44 to 45 in Smith’s second Olympics.
