By Brittany Nelson, USAS Public Relations & Communications Supervisor
COLO SPRGS, CO (April 23, 2025) – Mark Shen, of Menlo Park, California, earned the titles of 2025 USA Capturing Junior Olympic Champion in each Males’s Sport Pistol and Air Pistol in Talladega and Anniston, Alabama, April 13-18, hosted by the Civilian Marksmanship Program.
“Successful each the air and sport pistol titles on the Junior Olympics is actually surreal,” mentioned Shen, a 2024 Worldwide Capturing Sports activities Federation (ISSF) Junior World Championship group member. “It’s an enormous honor, and I’m simply actually grateful that the arduous work paid off. I’m additionally grateful to have met all the opposite athletes and competed with individuals of such a excessive caliber.”
At simply sixteen years previous, Shen already has a formidable taking pictures profession. Shen educated on the Bridge Junior Capturing Membership in California and was previously coached by the late In Kim. The junior athlete has competed in three worldwide competitions, representing the U.S. on a worldwide stage.
“Most of my coaching is dry fireplace, which has actually sharpened my focus and self-discipline,” mentioned Shen. “Throughout matches, a very powerful factor I give attention to is following and trusting my course of. I additionally owe loads to Coach Kim from Bridge Junior Membership for all the pieces he taught me, to Group Successful Options and Coach Lexi, and to the Palo Alto Gun Vary for letting me prepare there.”
Shen was amongst over 200 junior pistol athletes to compete on the 2025 Pistol Junior Olympic Championships. All rivals have been 21 years of age or youthful and have been invited to the championships after taking pictures a qualifying rating at a state-level competitors.
Along with Shen, Rachel Kim was topped champion in Junior Ladies’s Sport Pistol and Eva Allan in Junior Ladies’s Air Pistol. Kim trains on the Bridge Junior Capturing Membership the place she is coached by Janice Choi. Kim competed within the 2023 ISSF Junior World Championships. Allan, from Mooresville, North Carolina, has made outstanding strides in her rating over the previous yr. In 2024, she captured the title of U15 Junior Olympic Champion in Ladies’s Air Pistol, and in 2025, constructed on that achievement by changing into the general Junior Olympic Champion.
Awards have been additionally earned in U18 and U15 age classes. See all outcomes from the 2025 competitors right here.
This yr’s competitors introduced much more pleasure, because it served because the qualifier for the air pistol and rifle groups heading to the 2025 Junior Pan American Video games this August in Asunción, Paraguay. The Junior Pan American Video games happen each 4 years and include athletes from North, South, and Central American nations.
Suman Sanghera, Sneha Gupta, Marcus Klemp, and Nathan Lim will characterize the U.S. Air Pistol group this August. The 4 athletes certified for the group by ending with the general prime mixture air pistol scores.
USA Capturing is proud to have a handful of nice supporters, sponsor and companions. Amongst many others, we want to thank The NRA Basis, Hillsdale School, The Worldwide Order of T. Roosevelt, The Hal & Jean Glassen Basis, Safari Membership Worldwide, MidwayUSA Basis, and ELEY.
