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Keswick shooter wins bronze in 'nail biting final' at Pan Am Games

Federation says Shannon Westlake made 'incredible shot' in what turned out to be 'nail-biting' women's rifle event
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Keswick's Shannon Westlake is shown in a photo courtesy of Express Media/Panam Sports.

NEWS RELEASE
SHOOTING FEDERATION OF CANADA
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Shannon Westlake of Keswick had a moment that will likely be one of the highlights of the 2023 Pan American Games.

Westlake made an incredible shot in what turned out to be a nail-biting final women's rifle 3 position event with an Olympic quota spot on the line.

The final was pressure packed as Westlake and an athlete from Puerto Rico kept changing positions with a ton on the line. With two athletes from USA already having quota spots for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the next best finisher behind the Americans would gain a quota spot for the Paris Olympics.

With music blasting and fans cheering, they kept eliminating the last place athlete after each five rounds of shots in the final. It came down to the second to last shot when Westlake shot a near perfect 10.9 despite all the pressure to gain the Olympic quota spot for Canada and captured the bronze medal!

This was a moment like no other for Westlake, who is competing in her third Pan Am Games.

Westlake trains out of the Pan Am Centre in Cookstown, a site of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games.

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