Kimberly Rhode

Kimberly Rhode has hobbies typical of a 12-year-old girl. She likes to collect stamps, seashells, money. . . . But there's one thing that sets her apart from other girls her age: She likes to tote a shotgun. And if the sight of a young girl lugging around a weapon nearly as big as she is doesn't capture your attention, watching one shoot as well as Kimberly Rhode does will. Rhode's specialty is skeet.

Special section preview: How did the six athletes fare? KOBE BRYANT Men's basketball Bryant scored 20 points in the finale to help lead the U.S. to its first gold medal in the sport since 2000. ALLYSON FELIX Track and field Felix won silver in the 200-meter dash and was part of the gold-medal-winning 4x400 relay team. JULIE SWAIL ERTEL Triathlon She won a silver medal in water polo in 2000 but finished in 19th place in the triathlon in Beijing.

A tiny girl. Blond hair. Cute smile. Braces on her teeth. Kimberly Rhode is so . . . so disarming. In another era, with fewer principles, she and her father, Richard, would have done well traveling the Wild West and playing the suckers for whatever they were worth. Too late now. At 14 and only a freshman at Arroyo High School in El Monte, she has been a cover girl for Skeet magazine and is so well known among U.S.

BEIJING -- After enduring a driving rainstorm to win the silver medal in skeet shooting Thursday at the Beijing Shooting Range, American Kimberly Rhode joked that maybe she would try trap shooting in the next Olympics. And why not? Rhode, the world's premier double-trap shooter over the last 12 years, made the transition to skeet look easy, narrowly missing out on the gold to Italy's Chiara Cainero and edging Germany's Christine Brinker, who got the bronze medal in the soggy shootout.

As I read of the hard work and skeet-range successes Kimberly Rhode has earned ("This Miss Can't Miss," Feb. 5), I thought, "This young woman's accomplishments, coupled with her age and gender, give her compelling visibility both within and outside of the hunting and shooting community. Most especially, she can demonstrate to the next generation of would-be hunters that range competition is accessible, attractive, impartial, and, of course, sporting." And after reading of her ability to take down four record-book African animals with just four shots, as well as limiting out during dove season while still too small to hold a gun, I suggest that for Kimberly Rhode in particular, and for hunters in general, the killing and maiming of wild animals is not sporting, nor is it particularly challenging.

BEIJING -- After enduring a driving rainstorm to win the silver medal in skeet shooting Thursday at the Beijing Shooting Range, American Kimberly Rhode joked that maybe she would try trap shooting in the next Olympics. And why not? Rhode, the world's premier double-trap shooter over the last 12 years, made the transition to skeet look easy, narrowly missing out on the gold to Italy's Chiara Cainero and edging Germany's Christine Brinker, who got the bronze medal in the soggy shootout.

Forget the paper-plate tests. The next time Kim Rhode has her qualifications as a marksman questioned, all she has to do is flash the heavy medal. Rhode--it's pronounced Road-ee--won an Olympic gold medal in double trapshooting Tuesday, exactly one week after she didn't have time to celebrate her 17th birthday. Hers has been a hectic schedule to be sure.

Special section preview: How did the six athletes fare? KOBE BRYANT Men's basketball Bryant scored 20 points in the finale to help lead the U.S. to its first gold medal in the sport since 2000. ALLYSON FELIX Track and field Felix won silver in the 200-meter dash and was part of the gold-medal-winning 4x400 relay team. JULIE SWAIL ERTEL Triathlon She won a silver medal in water polo in 2000 but finished in 19th place in the triathlon in Beijing.

BEIJING -- The most decorated member of the U.S. Olympic shooting team goes to work wearing faded blue jeans, a weathered gun vest, a white Nike baseball cap and protective glasses with a yellow tint. And did we mention the string of pearls? "The pearls are just really beautiful. Girlie, I guess," Kimberly Rhode said. Annie Oakley, meet Christian Dior. "In our sport, a lot of people think you have to be a big burly man," Rhode said. "And you don't.

The heat and humidity were suffocating, but as far as Kim Rhode was concerned, the Olympic Shooting Complex at Wolf Creek is paradise. This is where she won an Olympic gold medal in 1996, so it's no wonder Rhode looked at ease here Tuesday as she returned to Atlanta and won the 1998 Double Trap national championship at the USA Shooting National Championships.

BEIJING -- The most decorated member of the U.S. Olympic shooting team goes to work wearing faded blue jeans, a weathered gun vest, a white Nike baseball cap and protective glasses with a yellow tint. And did we mention the string of pearls? "The pearls are just really beautiful. Girlie, I guess," Kimberly Rhode said. Annie Oakley, meet Christian Dior. "In our sport, a lot of people think you have to be a big burly man," Rhode said. "And you don't.

The heat and humidity were suffocating, but as far as Kim Rhode was concerned, the Olympic Shooting Complex at Wolf Creek is paradise. This is where she won an Olympic gold medal in 1996, so it's no wonder Rhode looked at ease here Tuesday as she returned to Atlanta and won the 1998 Double Trap national championship at the USA Shooting National Championships.

Were her sport considered a tad more politically correct, Kim Rhode might soon need an agent to negotiate advertising campaigns and coordinate photo shoots for magazine covers--other than for Guns and Ammo. The perky El Monte teenager, already the possessor of an infectious smile and bubbly personality, added an Olympic gold medal in double trapshooting to her resume Tuesday before a near-capacity crowd at the Wolf Creek Shooting Complex.

Forget the paper-plate tests. The next time Kim Rhode has her qualifications as a marksman questioned, all she has to do is flash the heavy medal. Rhode--it's pronounced Road-ee--won an Olympic gold medal in double trapshooting Tuesday, exactly one week after she didn't have time to celebrate her 17th birthday. Hers has been a hectic schedule to be sure.

A tiny girl. Blond hair. Cute smile. Braces on her teeth. Kimberly Rhode is so . . . so disarming. In another era, with fewer principles, she and her father, Richard, would have done well traveling the Wild West and playing the suckers for whatever they were worth. Too late now. At 14 and only a freshman at Arroyo High School in El Monte, she has been a cover girl for Skeet magazine and is so well known among U.S.

As I read of the hard work and skeet-range successes Kimberly Rhode has earned ("This Miss Can't Miss," Feb. 5), I thought, "This young woman's accomplishments, coupled with her age and gender, give her compelling visibility both within and outside of the hunting and shooting community. Most especially, she can demonstrate to the next generation of would-be hunters that range competition is accessible, attractive, impartial, and, of course, sporting." And after reading of her ability to take down four record-book African animals with just four shots, as well as limiting out during dove season while still too small to hold a gun, I suggest that for Kimberly Rhode in particular, and for hunters in general, the killing and maiming of wild animals is not sporting, nor is it particularly challenging.

Were her sport considered a tad more politically correct, Kim Rhode might soon need an agent to negotiate advertising campaigns and coordinate photo shoots for magazine covers--other than for Guns and Ammo. The perky El Monte teenager, already the possessor of an infectious smile and bubbly personality, added an Olympic gold medal in double trapshooting to her resume Tuesday before a near-capacity crowd at the Wolf Creek Shooting Complex.

The Olympics are a melting pot of exceptional athletes, from superstars on the international scene to equally hardworking and talented individuals who toil in near obscurity, all with the same goal of bringing home a gold medal. In this special section, we've created six covers showing the wide range of athletes representing Southern California for the next 17 days, from the bright lights of the NBA to the quiet sounds of the archery range. For a closer look at the covers (downloadable as PDFs)

Kimberly Rhode has hobbies typical of a 12-year-old girl. She likes to collect stamps, seashells, money. . . . But there's one thing that sets her apart from other girls her age: She likes to tote a shotgun. And if the sight of a young girl lugging around a weapon nearly as big as she is doesn't capture your attention, watching one shoot as well as Kimberly Rhode does will. Rhode's specialty is skeet.