Sgt. Sagen Maddalena of the Army Marksmanship Unit won a silver medal in the women’s 50-meter rifle three positions shooting final and Army veteran Vincent Hancock took gold in men’s skeet and silver in mixed team skeet during the Summer Olympics in Paris.

“I made my corrections when [wide shots] happened, and I was able to climb back on top,” Maddalena told the International Shooting Sport Federation on Aug. 4. “[It] was really cool to come back from the mistake in an Olympic final and to be able to get back into the podiums. That was special.”

Maddalena, a Groveland, California, native, also competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which were postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this year’s final, Maddalena, a marksmanship instructor and competitive shooter, worked hard to take and maintain her lead against stiff competition. Ultimately, she outshot six top competitors to earn her silver medal, bringing home the first medal for Team USA in the event since 2012.

“[Before the final,] I was thinking back on all of the years and all of the work and sacrifices that have gone into reaching this moment,” she said. “Then I realized, this is an amazing accomplishment, but it’s not the medal—it’s the memories and the journey that I think I will cherish way more.”

Hancock, a former sergeant and former member of the Army Marksmanship Unit, earned his fourth gold medal in the men’s skeet final.

“That’s pretty special for me because I love the Olympics,” Hancock told Task and Purpose. “Knowing that I’ve been able to do what I’ve done in this sport and be able to get four [gold medals] and be able to have my name in the same echelon as [Olympians Carl Lewis and Michael Phelps], that’s special to me.”

Before the 2024 Games, only five athletes have ever won the same event in four different Olympics, including Lewis and Phelps and now, Hancock. They are also joined this year by swimmer Katie Ledecky.

Even after her Olympic win, Maddalena gave credit to her fellow competitors. “For me to [earn] a medal, that’s awesome,” she said. “But all of the other athletes from USA Shooting who have competed here have put in the work and have been recognized for their efforts, even if they’re not coming back with hardware.”