USA Olympic team leader Dwayne Weger, from left, Army Sgt. Sagen Maddalena and Olympic rifle coach Pete Durben await the final results of the qualification round of the women's 10-meter air rifle competition July 28, 2024, in Chateauroux, France. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

CHATEAUROUX, France — Army Sgt. Sagen Maddalena stood with her coach and USA Shooting staff, looks of consternation on their faces as they stared at the screens Sunday displaying the live results in the women’s Olympic 10-meter air rifle qualification round.

After finishing her first 60 shots Sunday, she was hovering near the cutoff line for Monday morning’s finals. The top eight shooters qualify.

She was nowhere near the first to complete her rounds, but Maddalena still had to wait. With the final pop of the rifle, she sighed in relief and smiled about her seventh-place finish.

Her 631.4 points were the same as Kazakhstan’s Alexandra Le, who had won a bronze medal in the team event Saturday.

“I was happy, because I did the work and I shot well, performed really well,” Maddalena said. “But then at the same time, I was really anxious to see if I got a ticket to the dance, made the final.”

After the second series, things weren’t looking good for Maddalena. The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit member had a rough 10 shots, recording a 104.2. She put together four shots of 10.6 points but was hurt by a 10.1 and 10.2, dropping into 20th place in the live results.

Army Sgt. Sagen Maddalena smiles after the women’s 10-meter air rifle qualification round on Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Chateauroux, France. Maddalena advanced to Monday’s final with a seventh-place finish. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Sgt. Sagen Maddalena of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit prepares to aim at her target during the women’s 10-meter air rifle qualification round on Sunday, July 28 2024, in Chateauroux, France. (Kulani Lakanaria/U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit)

Maddalena switched gears after that and hit her stride. She started off the third series with a 10.8, one of five the rest of the way. She recorded six overall. The 30-year-old sharpshooter also hit a 10.9 with her 44th shot.

Over the final four series, Maddalena averaged 105.56 points per 10 shots. She posted a 104.8 and 104.2 in the first two.

“I was just slow a little or too quick on a little,” Maddalena said of the first two series. “Just that timing was a touch off, and I ended up telling myself, ‘Hey, next shot. Focus on the next shot, not that last shot.’ And that’s kind of what got me back into that calm, cool and collected mindset.”

That mentality moved her up the 13 spots she needed to advance to an Olympic final round for the second time. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were held in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, she took fifth in the 50-meter rifle three-position competition.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks alumna is looking to get onto the podium this time. She’s chasing South Korea’s Hyo-jin Ban, who broke the Olympic qualifying round record with 634.5 points, and Norway’s Jeanette Hegg Duestad, who previously held the high mark and eclipsed it herself Sunday with a 633.2.

To prepare for the final, Maddalena said she just needs to take care of herself and get good rest.

“I can’t get too caught up in it’s got to be perfect,” Maddalena said. “If that happens, I’ll just get stressed out and anxious.”

Maddalena’s teammate during the 10-meter air rifle mixed team Saturday, Army Sgt. Ivan Roe, also competed in the qualification round in the men’s 10-meter air rifle. He placed 34th out of 49 shooters with a 626.3, failing to qualify for the final.

Army Sgt. Ivan Roe adjusts his weapon as Sgt. Sagen Maddalena concentrates during the 10-meter air rifle mixed team competition on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre in Deols, France. (Joshua Schave/USA Shooting)

Roe started off strong with 105.0 points in the first series and ended strong with 105.0 and 105.4 points in the final two series. But he struggled in the second through fourth series, unable to eclipse 104 points in those rounds.

“There was definitely a lot of improvement,” Roe said. “A lot less nervousness at the start, I focused in a lot more at the end, and I think I settled down.”

Roe still has one more event, the men’s 50-meter rifle three-position. He called it his better event.

“We’re going into an event that I’m most looking forward to,” Roe said. “So I’m ready to go.”