Dania Vizzi extended the recent U.S. medal-winning tradition in women’s skeet by taking silver at the world championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Friday.
Danka Bartekova of Slovakia edged Vizzi 11-10 in a shoot-off after both women hit 54 of 60 targets in the six-shooter final.
“You can’t be unhappy going home with a silver medal from the world championships,” Vizzi said.
Vizzi added silver to her individual gold from 2017 Worlds.
Vizzi, 28, turned down the prestigious Juilliard dance school years ago to focus on competitive shooting — hence the nickname “Shooterina.” Her dad was also a competitive shooter.
Vizzi has yet to compete at an Olympics even though she won the 2014 World junior title and that 2017 World senior title. She missed the 2016 Olympic team by two spots and was fifth in trials for Tokyo with two spots at stake.
The U.S. depth in women’s skeet makes it one of the nation’s hardest teams to make across Olympic sports.
Seven different U.S. women won an individual skeet medal over the last seven world championships, and on Friday the U.S. won a sixth consecutive world title in the women’s skeet team event.
Amber English (Tokyo) and Kim Rhode (London) won two of the last three Olympic gold medals.
Vizzi is in good shape halfway through the Olympic Trials that will produce the two women’s skeet shooters for the Paris Games.
Vizzi placed second in the first stage of trials in May behind Austen Smith. With bonus points for the world silver medal, Vizzi moved one point ahead of Smith in Olympic qualifying standings on Friday.
The second and final stage is set for spring 2024.
Shooting worlds continue Saturday with the men’s skeet (with three-time Olympic gold medalist Vincent Hancock) and men’s and women’s 10m air rifle finals.