Paris 2024 Olympics Bound Shooter Opens Up About Nearly Abandoning Olympic Dream Amidst Secret Flu Battle

A prodigy in the sport of pistol shooting, Katelyn Abeln’s journey to the Paris 2024 Olympics testifies to her indomitable spirit despite the odds. An Ohio State University graduate student, Abeln is all set to represent the USA this summer. Even though she was down with a debilitating cold during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, it did not deter her from earning a spot for Team USA.

Abeln will compete in the women’s 10-meter air pistol event in France. Part of Ohio State’s pistol team dynasty, she is vying for gold at the forthcoming Olympics.

Battling cold on her quest for Olympic berth

On the final day of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Air Gun in Anniston, Alabama, Katelyn Abeln was down with a severe cold. With her cold symptoms magnifying, she initially wanted to rush through to get back to Ohio. However, she was not ready to crush her dream of the Paris 2024 Olympics during the third session on Jan. 7, 2024.

Talking about it, Abeln said, “I was super sick that (last) day, so I really was just trying to survive.” Her initial focus was to just get through the match. She recalls, “I wasn’t really thinking about making the Olympic team. I had to make the best of the situation.” However, with her exceptional abilities, she turned the situation to her favor. It was beyond what she expected. “I kept telling my coaches, ‘No, no way. There’s no way that I made the team.’ It was really surreal,” she gushed with excitement.

All set to make a debut this Olympics, the 22-year pistol shooter is one of the first ones to qualify. Introduced to pistol shooting at the age of 12, it happened at the back of the CrossFit gym and her basement. And, it went on to fuel her lifelong passion. Getting support from her father, she eventually paved her path to international success.

Passion and hard work pay off

Despite pursuing a master’s degree in public health and epidemiology at Ohio State University, Abeln balanced her routine to indulge in intensive training sessions. She has various accolades to her name, including securing her first gold medal at the 2022 Confederation of the Americas event, which also led her to win an Olympic quota.

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Abeln is also the first-team All-American and Academic All-Big Ten, winning it multiple times at various national and world junior events. Abeln credits time management to her success, “juggling Olympic trials and grad school.”

Abeln is all set to compete during the weekend of the games. The qualifying round will take place on July 27 with finals closely following on July 28.

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