Kim Rhode – The Rio Possibles

By competing at Rio de Janeiro in 2016, Kim Rhode will set several Olympic records and bests, both USA and international. Further, should she win a medal, or a gold medal, she will also set several Olympic records and bests. The following details her current standings on the various Olympic lists, and what she can/will achieve with her performance in Rio.

By Competing in Rio, Kim Rhode Will …

  • Become the first American female shooter to compete in 6 Olympic Games – the overall record is 7 by Nino Salukvadze (URS/EUN/GEO), who will compete in Rio; and by Jasna Šekarić (IOA/SCG/SRB/YUG), who also may compete in Rio. Rhode already holds the American mark of 5 appearances by a female in Olympic shooting.
  • Become the second American shooter to compete in 6 Olympics Games, after Bill McMillan, who competed in 1952/1960/1964/1968/1972/1976, and who died in 2000.
  • Become the second American female to compete in 6 Olympic Games, after Janice York-Romary, who competed in fencing consecutively from 1948-68.
  • Move to =10th on the list of females competing in the most Olympic Games, although this will likely change dramatically as 13 women competed in their 6th Olympics at London in 2012, and 29 women competed in their 5th Olympics in 2012.

If She Wins One Medal in Rio, Kim Rhode Will …

  • Win her 6th medal, the most ever by a woman in Olympic shooting. Rhode is currently tied with 5 medals with three other women – Jasna Šekarić (IOA/SCG/SRB/YUG); Marina Dobrancheva-Logvinenko (EUN/RUS/URS); and Mariya Grozdeva (BUL).
  • Equal the Olympic “modern” shooting record with 6 medals, currently held by Chinese male shooter Wang Yifu, who won 6 medals in 1984-2004. “Modern” record is of some importance. Most of the Olympic records for medals won in shooting are still held by shooters from 1908-24, because in those years there were multiple events, including team events. After shooting was excluded from the Olympics in 1928, it returned in 1932 with a drastically reduced program. The overall Olympic shooting record is 11 medals by Carl Osburn (USA), who competed in 1912/1920/1924.
  • Move to =7th among all female Olympians with 6 individual medals. All of Rhode’s medals have been won in individual events.
  • Tie Jackie Joyner-Kersee (ATH) for the most individual Olympic medals among @TeamUSA Olympians, with 6. Rhode’s 5 individual medals is currently tied with 5 other @TeamUSA Olympians – Shirley Babashoff (SWI), Janet Evans (SWI), Shannon Miller (GYM), Amanda Beard (SWI), and Natalie Coughlin (SWI).
  • Win a medal in her 6th Olympic Games, which would tie the mark for female Olympians (any sport), currently held by Birgit Fischer-Schmidt (GDR/GER-CAN), Anky van Grunsven (NED-EQU), and Elisabeta Oleniuc-Lipă (ROU-ROW).
  • Tie the female record for most years between individual Olympic medals with 20, held by Merlene Ottey (JAM-ATH; 1980-2000) and Nino Salukvadze (URS/GEO-SHO, 1988-2008) (who will compete in Rio). Rhode currently stands =3rd on this list with 7 other women.
  • Become the 2nd oldest American female shooting medalist, trailing only Ruby Fox, who was aged 38-353 when she won a silver medal in sport pistol in 1984. Rhode will turn 37 about 3 weeks before the Rio Olympics start.

If She Wins One Gold Medal in Rio, Kim Rhode Will …

  • Win her 4th gold medal, which would be a “modern” Olympic shooting record. Overall, 6 men have won 5 Olympic shooting gold medals, and 4 men have won 4 Olympic shooting golds, but all of them competed in the Olympic shooting “golden era” from 1908-24, when there were numerous events, including team events. Currently Rhode’s 3 gold medals is the most won since WW2, tied with Ralf Schumann (GDR/GER) from 1992-2004 and Korean Jin Jong-O in 2008-12. Rhode’s 3 golds is an Olympic female shooting record, in any era (women could not compete in Olympic shooting prior to 1968).
  • Tie Janet Evans (SWI) and Pat McCormick (DIV) for the most individual gold medals won by a @TeamUSA woman at the Summer Olympics. The overall record for @TeamUSA is held by Bonnie Blair who won 5 individual gold medals in speed skating at the Winter Olympics.
  • Win a gold medal in her 4th Olympic Games, which among Summer female Olympians, would move her to =4th on the all-sports list, currently led by Birgit Fischer-Schmidt (GDR/GER-CAN) with 6, and Valentina Vezzali (ITA-FEN) and Elisabeta Oleniuc-Lipă (ROU-ROW) with 5 each. Rhode’s 4th Olympics winning a gold would tie her with 5 other Summer Olympics. Vezzali will also compete in Rio and could also extend her record.
  • Tie the record for longest span between individual gold medals at 20 years, equaling the mark of Belgian archer Hubert Van Innis, who won individual gold medals in 1900 and then again in 1920. Rhode already holds the female best in this category at 16 years, but would extend her record.
  • Move to 5th place among the oldest female gold medalists in shooting. Rhode is already the oldest female @TeamUSA shooter to win gold, at age 33-013 in London. She will turn 37 about 3 weeks before the Rio Olympics start.