Groveland Native Sagen Maddalena Takes Silver Medal

Sonora, CA – Sagen Maddalena, of Groveland, secured a silver medal in the Women’s 50m Smallbore Rifle at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Maddalena, the 2023 ISSF World Championship bronze medalist, started the three-position final strong in kneeling and prone, leading the pack. However, she struggled with her first series of five shots, firing off an 8.1 and an 8.6, dropping her from first place to fifth.

“This is really special,” said Maddalena, a sergeant in the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. “There are no words to describe the opportunity coming to fulfillment.”

Despite this, she improved in the single-shot eliminations, shooting an impressive 10.8, moving back up to first place. In a shoot-off with Qiongyue Zhang of China, Maddalena shot a 9.9, beating Zhang’s 9.7 and leaving China with the bronze medal. Chiara Leone, a Swiss athlete, took the gold by beating out Maddalena with an overall score of 464.4, just higher than Maddalena’s 463.

Maddalena made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games, where she placed fifth in the women’s 50m smallbore. The crowds in Tokyo were minimal due to the COVID-19 pandemic, contrasting with the crowd in the finals hall today.