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Kimberly Rhode of the United States competes in the Women's Skeet Final at the Shooting Range CTF during Day 6 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 14, 2008 in Beijing, China.
BEIJING (AP) Instead of bemoaning the loss of her preferred competition, American shooter Kimberly Rhode shifted her focus to another one.
The two-time gold medalist in women's double trap shooting won the silver medal in skeet on Thursday. Women's double trap shooting was eliminated after the 2004 Olympics.
Rhode finished fifth in skeet in those games, but her specialty has always been double trap shooting.
On Thursday she finished tied with Chiara Cainero of Italy and Christine Brinker of Germany with 93 targets. She and Brinker missed a target in the shoot-off and Cainero hit both of hers for the gold.
Rhode won second after a second shoot-off that gave Brinker the bronze.
"In 2004 it was a bittersweet win for me," Rhode said. "It was really disappointing that doubles isn't in the Olympics but at the same time it created a challenge. To come back and medal I'm just ecstatic."
Rhode was two off the lead entering the finals but outshot Cainero 23 to 21 in the finals to force the shoot-off.
This is Rhode's fourth Olympics and her fourth medal. She won the bronze in 2000, to go with her first-place finishes in 1996 and 2004.
It was a difficult day for shooting with steady rain that intensified to a downpour late in the finals.
"The rain and the wind definitely played a factor," she said. "The targets were jumping around and it was hard to see them and keep an eye on them."
After her performance, the 29-year-old Rhode was already looking toward the 2012 Olympics.
"Maybe I'll try trap," she said with a laugh. "Maybe I'll mix things up a little."
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