PARIS, France — In air rifle competition, Rylan Kissel knows it’s not just about hitting the target, it’s about hitting that small target better than anyone else.
“Your target is the size of a period,” Kissel said. “If you barely nick that dot, it's a 10.0, You get 10.0 points. If you hit one perfectly in the middle that’s 10.9 points and that's what you get.”
It's something the Denver native has been doing since he was kid, starting competitive shooting at the age of 12 in Arvada, Colorado.
“I started at the Arvada pistol club,” Kissel said. “I shot there for about four years, and then I started driving out to the Olympic Training Center twice a week from Denver to shoot and train and get prepared.”
Now, Kissel is one of the most accurate air rifle athletes on the planet. He's ranked second in overall standings and is competing in the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he’s looking to hit a few targets and come away with a high caliber medal.
“It’s a goal that I've had for the last decade.” Kissel said.
Kissel did not qualify in air rifle on Sunday.