GANNETT NEWS SERVICE MULTIMEDIA                                                                    Olympics home | E-mail feedback

August 14, 2004 12:17 pm

Army marksman doesn't make the cut

By ANN GREEN

Gannett News Service

MARKOPOULO, Greece - Darryl Szarenski didn't make the final Saturday in the men's 10m air pistol competition at the 2004 Olympics.

But the two-time Olympian and U.S. Army sergeant first class stuck around to see if he could pick up a few pointers.

Gold medalist Yifu Wang of China, silver medalist Mikhail Nestruev of Russia and bronze medalist Vladimir Isakov of Russia had something to teach him.

He studied their shoes, their guns, their technique.

``I watch to see what the top guys are doing, to see if I can get my game a little bit better,'' he said.

Szarenski tied for 13th with a score of 579. Nestruev won the qualifying round with an Olympic record 591, but Yifu came away with the gold.

The competition was held at the Markopoulo Olympic Shooting Centre, cut into a hillside southeast of Athens.

``There was no more nervousness than any other match we come to. These guys are the same guys we shoot against in World Cups. It's not like I tried harder here than in a World Cup. It was just kind of a medium day and you needed a good day,'' Szarenski said.

Szarenski, who is in the Army's marksmanship unit and went to Tennessee Tech University on a rifle scholarship, currently lives in Seale, Ala.

Szarenski will compete in the free pistol competition Tuesday, an event where he finished 25th in the 2000 Olympics.

The 36-year-old said he'd like to think he has a couple of other Olympics in him.

``It depends on what the Army says I can do, but as long as I'm shooting good, they say they'll keep me,'' he said.

ADVERTISEMENT