Shuster Wins America’s Martial Arts Challenges, Will Defend Gold in Beijing – NBC10 Philadelphia

Defending Olympic tetanus champion John Shuster will return to the Winter Olympics for the fifth time.

The 2018 gold medalist bypassed his team to win Team Dropkin at Sunday night’s US test, winning 5-4 to qualify for the most final of three matches against one and win one. capacity in Beijing.

John Landsteiner and Matt Hamilton will also return to the Olympics after winning in Pyeongchang. Chris Plys joins this quartet to replace Tyler George, who has retired.

Team America’s impromptu comeback earned them their first gold medal.

The American had never won an Olympic bronze medal in tetanus until 2006, when Shuster took the lead on Pete Fenson’s bronze medal winning team. Shuster dropped out of that quartet and skipped his team for the Olympics in 2010 and 2014 but twice couldn’t get out of the pool game.

The Americans seemed headed for another disappointing finish in Pyeongchang, opening with a 2-4 record before winning five knockouts to claim gold.

Team Shuster had a 9-1 record of billiards at this year’s trials but lost on aggregate 8-4 to the team of Korey Dropkin, Joe Polo, Mark Fenner and Tom Howell. Again on the brink of elimination, Shuster won 7-3 on Saturday night to force a decisive game on Sunday.

Team Shuster scored two points in the sixth inning to take a 3-1 lead and followed by a single point in the seventh and eighth innings although Dropkin had the final kick advantage known as the hammer. Dropkin took two points in the ninth inning to make it 5-3, but with the hammer late in the game, Shuster knocked one of the two yellow rocks in the target area to claim it.

Tabitha Peterson, Nina Roth, Tara Peterson and Becca Hamilton took the US women’s landing spot in Beijing, knocking out Team Christensen 2-0 on Saturday night in the best of three finals.