Fourth-Place Medal, a Yahoo! Sports blog covering the Summer Olympics in Beijing

Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:29 am EDT

Rifle's Romeo and Juliet

Warning: the following item makes no mention of Michael Phelps, men's or women's gymnastics, Michael Phelps, USA Basketball, Michael Phelps, beach volleyball, or international scandals, contrived or otherwise (or Michael Phelps).

A few weeks ago, FPM's Pat Imig told us about Katerina and Matt Emmons, a pair of Olympic shooters who met during the Summer Games in Athens four years ago and were married in June, 2007. Shooting for the Czech Republic, Katerina captured the first gold medal of the Beijing games when she won the 10 meter air rifle. She followed that with a silver in the 50 meter three positions rifle.

Matt, an American who lost his chance at two golds when he shot the wrong target in Athens, took silver yesterday in the men's 50 meter rifle prone position. He has a chance to equal his wife's record tomorrow in the 50 meter three positions competition. For the sake of marital harmony, I know I'm cheering for him. ("Matt, honey, could you polish the medals, please? Both of mine are getting a little dusty.") To be fair, Matt won gold and Katerina bronze in Athens, so exactly what the score is depends on whether you are counting golds or total medals.

Meanwhile the Emmons have become media darlings, the TomKat and Brangelina of the Olympic Village (MattKat? Matterina? Help me out here.) Olympic shooters usually manage to dodge the swarming paparazzi, but the "Rifle Romance" has climbed to Spunky Gymnast levels on the adorable scale (just one step below Puppies and Cooing Baby). After all, when you are first introduced in Athens and your second date is in Bangkok, that's not just meet cute, it's meet jet set. Not bad for a guy from Jersey and a girl from Plzen.

Everyone roots for newlywed couples anyway, and this "Green Card" meets "The Rifleman" has set the press corps abuzz. Best headline I've seen so far has to be "Shot through the heart."

We've seen Olympic marriages before. Al Joyner was a triple jump champion but was maybe better known as the late Florence Griffith-Joyner's husband and coach. Bart Conner and and Nadia Comaneci married 15 years after she scored perfect 10s in Montreal. And throw an ice cube at any Winter Games, and you'll hit a married figure skating pair. But having a husband and wife competing in the same sport for different countries might be unprecedented. If only there were mixed doubles, then things could get really interesting.

Shooting, like archery, equestrian and sailing, is a sport for athletes of all ages. Oscar Swahn, the oldest Olympic champion ever, won a gold medal in 1920 when he was 72. So we could be hearing about Team Emmons for awhile. I hope it works out because let's face it, a domestic disturbance between these two could turn into "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" pretty quickly (I know, I know, enough with the Brangelina already).

So many questions come to mind. To answer a few, they live in both countries, they are staying together in the Czech quarters in the Olympic Village, she's a Libra and he's a Pisces. So why aren't they staying in the American quarters? And will there be any pressure from either side to switch to the other's team? Can you imagine the situation if, say, Liu Xiang was dating Allyson Felix?

And now a question for the FPM Investigative Unit in the Summer Games of 2028: What nation will the offspring of Team Emmons represent?

Photo via Getty Images

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352 Comments

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  1. Brian S (brianguy)
    1. Posted by Brian S (brianguy) Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:19 pm EDT

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    why don't you hyperlink to their profiles on Yahoo? seems like a silly oversight... I hate having to go find them myself:
    http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/usa/Matt+Emmons/220603
    http://sports.yahoo.com/oly/beijing/cze/Katerina+Emmons/205338
  2. Brian S (brianguy)
    2. Posted by Brian S (brianguy) Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:19 pm EDT

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    go away Bolly D. please delete comment 1
  3. DB
    3. Posted by DB Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:36 pm EDT

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    In all the years I've watched and been involved in the Olympics, I have never seen or heard so many babies (no pun intended, China) crying about unfair judges or cheating opponents. Nor have I ever witnessed such a childish response from an athelete throwing a medal. Championships have always been and will always be won by the one(s) that overcome injury, broken skate laces, and the ever-present human factor including judges, refs and umps. Are we raising our children to cry every time there is an injustice or to stand up and do the best they can and be proud of their personal accomplishments along the way?
    When a child whines for something they can't have, shouldn't the parent stand firm and say, "No"? Maybe we should just cancel the Olympics until our young people learn that life is not fair.
  4. I know all
    4. Posted by I know all Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:35 pm EDT

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    The spamming is getting old.
  5. I know all
    5. Posted by I know all Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:35 pm EDT

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    The spamming is getting old.
  6. Cowboy Backer
    6. Posted by Cowboy Backer Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:44 pm EDT

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    Great stories like this often get overshadowed by the "glamour events" of the Olympics: gymnastics, beach volleyball, basketball, Michael Phelps, ERRR swimming...
  7. Pamela H
    7. Posted by Pamela H Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:59 pm EDT

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    I love the way you write this stuff...keeps me laughing all day THANKS~!!!!!!
  8. Paul Anthony Maglaya
    8. Posted by Paul Anthony Maglaya Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:02 pm EDT

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    they r so sweet the woman is hot
  9. who cares
    9. Posted by who cares Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:34 pm EDT

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    who cares
  10. kbc
    10. Posted by kbc Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:42 pm EDT

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    air rifle is not a sport, or atleast one that deserves gold, silver or even bronze. imo.
  11. Roa E
    11. Posted by Roa E Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:30 pm EDT

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    awww thats beautiful.
  12. Irish32
    12. Posted by Irish32 Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:08 pm EDT

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    There was another romance that began at the Olympics in Melbourne in 1956 between America's star hammer thrower Harold "Hal" Connolly and another young woman from the Czech Republic (at the time part of the "Iron Curtain" of the Soviet Union) gold medalist discus champion Olga Fikotova.
    This romance resulted in marriage and Olga became Olga Connolly who competed in a total of five Olympic Games. The book "The Rings of Destiny" described their experience.
  13. Amy P
    13. Posted by Amy P Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:47 pm EDT

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    I love this "Fourth Place" column! Thanks for the laughs!
  14. john
    14. Posted by john Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:39 pm EDT

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    I have to say I enjoyed the line "Green Card" meets "The Rifleman".
  15. Veasna S
    15. Posted by Veasna S Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:32 pm EDT

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    Thanks for writing such a great story. I enjoyed reading and laughing. Keep it up!
  16. John
    16. Posted by John Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:38 pm EDT

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    That's a sweet story. Commentor #2..quit complaining. Commentor #11...get a heart.
  17. Michael E
    17. Posted by Michael E Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:22 pm EDT

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    Note on the title of this article: aside from the fact that Romeo and Juliet loved each other, I don't think this couple has anything at all in common with Romeo and Juliet.
  18. VolleyBall Dad
    18. Posted by VolleyBall Dad Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:07 pm EDT

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    They should show more womens beach volleyball. Very competative. It the one sport that I really stay focused to.
  19. Robert B
    19. Posted by Robert B Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:57 pm EDT

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    pretty cool, i think its great.... love is out there,,
    and word to the womens gymastics ,,, get over it,,
  20. Jessie N
    20. Posted by Jessie N Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:37 pm EDT

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    Very cute :) I hope they last!
  21. Amy
    21. Posted by Amy Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:53 pm EDT

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    Wouldn't it be more appropriate to say "marksman" or "markswoman?" I had to reread the beginning of the article because I was like, "What the heck is an Olympic shooter?"
    "Shooting, like archery, equestrian and sailing, is a sport for athletes of all ages." This is true, but last I left off its competitors are called marksmen!
  22. Deborah
    22. Posted by Deborah Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:01 pm EDT

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    Shooting for the Czech Republic, Katerina captured the first gold medal of the Beijing games when she won the 10 meter air rifle. She followed that with a silver in the 50 meter three positions rifle. Matt won gold and Katerina bronze in Athens, so exactly what the score is depends on whether you are counting golds or total medals.
    ---
    Katerina has two golds and three total. Matt has one gold. No matter how you count, she beats him. I guess you missed that day in first grade when they did counting.
  23. Powdered Toast Man
    23. Posted by Powdered Toast Man Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:54 pm EDT

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    Um, how are they like Romeo and Juliet? Wasn't that about forbidden romance and tragedy? I confess I slept through most of high school English. So did Mr. Fitzgerald, apparently.
  24. lynette
    24. Posted by lynette Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:43 pm EDT

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    I think this is a great article. I'm sick of hearing about Michael Phelps and the volleyball girls. I would love to see Archery/Air Rifle competition. Good Luck to them both.
  25. Powdered Toast Man
    25. Posted by Powdered Toast Man Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:54 pm EDT

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    Um, how are they like Romeo and Juliet? Wasn't that about forbidden romance and tragedy? I confess I slept through most of high school English. So did Mr. Fitzgerald, apparently.

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