Sergeant Ivan Law will compete in the third round of the Air Rifle Olympic Qualification in Anniston, Alabama in January. (Usamu)
FORT MOORE, Ga. (WRBL) — The Paris Games will be the first chance for an Olympic gold medal for this U.S. Army Marksmanship team member. Sergeant Ivan Low qualified for the United States in both air rifle and three-position rifle this summer in his Olympic debut.
Law, who placed first in the final round of the Three-Position Rifle Olympic Trials in Fort Moore in March, says his success comes from trusting his training process.
“Obviously, there were a lot of thoughts going through my head. It's a big mental hurdle to know that you're fighting for an Olympic spot,” Law said.
He continued, “I was serious about my process that I had developed over the last few years and believed it would get me to where I needed to be.”
Lowe placed third in the Air Rifle Qualifier held in Anniston, Alabama in January.
In preparation for the Olympics, Law has a lot of work to do while training, mostly in Fort Moore. He plans to spend hours on the practice range perfecting his form, especially in the kneeling position.
The shooter explained that while he was only able to “put a bandaid” on the problem during the competition, an even bigger change would come from practice.
In a sport where there is little room for error, Law is humble about his place among the competitors. Small changes anywhere can be the difference between winning a medal or missing out on the podium.
“I don't know if there's really a lot that separates me from other people,” Roe said.
In the three-position rifle qualifier, he competed against top marksmen from across the country, including NCAA athletes and other U.S. military personnel.
“I think there are a lot of good shooters out there, but they all had a very good chance of qualifying and earning their spots and becoming Olympians,” Law said. “I think I was probably a little more committed to my process than they were.”
The process involves mental and physical training and constant repetition. But shooting is nothing new to Lowe, who first picked up a gun at just seven years old.
Despite his young start, the athlete did not participate in competitive shooting until high school, where he competed at Manhattan High School in his hometown of Manhattan, Montenegro. He then continued to compete at Murray State University in Kentucky, starting in 2014 and ending in 2018, where he was named an All-American seven times.
Mr Law said his former coaches had already informed him that they intended to watch the match in Paris online. The athlete added that there are several other supporters he can count on to keep an eye on him at the Olympics.
“My wife and family have been supporting me since day one, coming to games and watching online,” Law said. “Even if I'm on the other side of the world and it's 2 a.m. their time, they're pulling up my target and watching me and seeing how I'm doing.”
In Paris, Law is most excited about the three-position rifle competition.
“I like three-position and it's my favorite event. It's like a puzzle and you have to solve it on the fly, but air rifle is much more rigorous and disciplined,” Law said. he said.
Although he prefers three-position rifles, he also has high expectations for performance in both shooting events.
“I think we have a good chance of winning medals in both,” Law said.
For that to happen, Law will need to have a near-perfect shot in Paris. His Olympic competition debut took place just two days after the opening ceremony during the men's air rifle qualifying.
