By Renae Brown

   “Bang!” The shot flies through the air and “smash!” it shatters the clay target. 

   The shooter, Esther Cui, won second place that day in shooting at the 2023 Junior Olympic Games. 

   Esther finished in second place against shooters from across the United States. After hitting many targets, Esther surpassed all but one of the girls under 15 who made up her division and won silver.

   Esther competed for three days. During the first day, she participated in the PET, or practice match, at which she shot three rounds, each of which consisted of 25 targets. 

   The following day, Esther shot another two rounds. Finally, on the third day, Esther faced off against the top six in her division, which ended with her result.

   At any rate, Esther succeeded in her goal, and said, “[I] went to … gain competition experience,… see how much I improved and make friends.” 

   Esther says her motivation, both for the Junior Olympics and overall, is to “understand myself and become mentally stronger.”

   Central to Esther’s shooting are the two styles, Bunker Trap and American Trap, that she practices. The Bunker Trap style involves the shooter firing at clay pigeons shot at 68 mph from an underground device. The American Trap style involves shooting at clay pigeons launched at 45 mph from an aboveground device.

   Esther had a great finish at the 2023 Junior Olympics as she was buoyed up by her goals, motivation and practice.

What heights can she shoot for next?