SHOOTING Matt Emmons wins second gold medal

XATHENS, Greece -- It would've been understandable if Matt Emmons had a bad first Olympic experience.
The way things had been going, he seemed destined for that.
First, someone vandalized his good gun in April. Then, while preparing for the men's 50-meter prone rifle event, he caught a bad cold.
Before Friday's final, his heart was beating so much he didn't know if he could calm himself, hold the rifle straight and shoot with accuracy.
He did it, though. He remained composed and focused. His reward was an Olympic gold medal.
"How's it supposed to feel?" the Fairbanks, Alaska, resident asked. "I don't know. I probably won't realize it until I get home."
With a score of 703.3 points, Emmons won the second gold medal of these Olympics for the United States shooting team. On Wednesday, Kim Rhode won in the double trap event.
During an international event in April, Emmons discovered someone had ruined his gun. Judging the damage, he figured someone had taken a screwdriver to it. He took a shot, and the shell stayed lodged in his gun.
So he had to borrow another, and you should know that shooters value their guns like young girls value their teddy bears. It was an adjustment, but he found the comfort with the new rifle.
"This one's amazing," he said of the borrowed gun. "It shoots better than the one I have. So it's a blessing in disguise."
Having qualified in three events, the New Jersey native probably is the best all-around men's shooter on the U.S. squad. Emmons became the first American in 40 years to qualify for three Olympic events. He did not reach the final in the air rifle event, but he has a chance to earn another medal in the three-position rifle.
"I'd say I'm pretty confident," said Emmons, who considers the three-position rifle his best event. "I can't say I'm going to go in and win another gold medal. It's just more about coming off this one and settling down. I'm really looking forward to it."
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