The Paralympic team is going into Paris with a strong set of athletes. All of the athletes have made appearances in at least one Paralympic Games. The Paralympic team consists of two U.S. Army soldiers, Sergeant 1st Class John Wayne Joss and Staff Sergeant Kevin Nguyen. Marco De La Rosa, a Marine Corps veteran, also has military ties.
Athletes to Watch:
YanXiao Gong is a strong contender for a medal, as he is the 2023 World Champion in P3. YanXiao, a Malibu, California, native, is also took home two medals from the 2023 Parapan American Games. Paris is his second Paralympic Games appearance. He will be competing in P1 Men’s 10m Air Pistol SH1, P3 Mixed 25m Sport Pistol SH1, and P4 Mixed 50m Pistol SH1.
Kevin Nguyen is also a strong medal contender. The Westminster, California, native, is a soldier in the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. He is a recent first-time dad and is looking forward to having his wife Ashley and son Naoh watch him compete in Paris. Nguyen is a 2023 Parapan American Games bronze medalist. The Tokyo 2020 Paralympian is an amputee as he was struck by a pressure plated IED while on dismounted foot patrol during a deployment to Afghanistan in 2011.
Mckenna Geer, a Rio 2016 bronze medalist, will be competing in her third Games. Geer, an Arlington, Washington, native, recently returned to competitive shooting after the birth of her first child. She will be competing in R4 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Standing SH2, R5 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH2, and R9 Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH2.
John Joss of Corsicana, Texas is looking for strong finish to his Paralympic career as he is retiring after the Paris Games. Joss, a soldier in the U.S. Army World Class Program competed in Rio 2016, where he finished fifth, and Tokyo 2020. He currently holds the national record in R6 Mixed 50m Free Rifle Prone SH1 and will be competing in the event at the Games. Joss, a Purple Heart recipient, was injured during an Iraq deployment when his team’s Stryker ran over an IED and received heavy fire.
For inquiries: Brittany Nelson - brittany.nelson@usashooting.org