LOVE ON TARGET FOR MARRIED OLYMPIC SHOOTERSA shotgun marriage? Technically, husband-and-wife Olympians Katerina and Matthew Emmons shoot rifles – and their aim is as true as their love.
Katerina, 24, competing for the Czech Republic, won a gold medal in the 10-meter air rifle this week – the first of the Beijing Games. Matthew, 27, an American, then got the silver in the 50-meter rifle Friday.
"You can't do much better than a gold or a silver," says Matthew. "We work as a team and the more medals we win as a team, the better. Of course I thought about her after the match. Actually, the first thing I thought was, 'Holy crap! I hit it!' And then I thought of her!"
The pair met at the Athens Games, where Matthew won gold and Katerina got bronze. They married last year in Katerina's native Pilsen, Czech Republic, and now live and train in Colorado Springs, Colo. Both fiercely competitive, they don't exactly try to outdo each other, but with the medals now in the bag, they acknowledge they can breathe easier."I wouldn't trade having Katie by my side for anything," he says. "It has been hard on us when the other is competing."
Adds Katerina: "He's the best roommate. He was awesome! We work as a team, the best team in the world."
•Reporting by CYNTHIA WANG People |
