Kimberly Susan Rhode (born July 16, 1979) is an Americandouble trap andskeetshooter.[1] ACalifornia native, she is a six-timeOlympic medal winner, including three gold medals, and six-time national champion in double trap. She is the most successful female shooter at the Olympics as the only triple Olympic Champion and the only woman to have won two Olympic gold medals for Double Trap. She won a gold medal in skeet shooting at the2012 Summer Olympics, equaling the world record of 99 out of 100 clays.[2] Most recently, she won the bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics, making her the first Olympian to win a medal on five continents, the first Summer Olympian to win an individual medal at six consecutive summer games, and the first woman to medal in six consecutive Olympics.[3]
Kimberly Rhode was born inWhittier, California, in 1979. Rhode begansport hunting at an early age, traveling onAfricansafaris by the age of 12. Rhode began competing in skeet at age 10.[1][4]
Rhode, at 13, won her first world championship title in women's double trap shooting. After double trap shooting was eliminated from the2008 Summer Olympics, she has concentrated on skeet. Rhode became a Distinguished International Shooter in 1995 (Badge #388).[5] In ISSF World Cup competition, she has won 19 Gold, 7 Silver, and 8 Bronze medals.[6] At the 2007 World Cup competition inSanto Domingo, she set a new world record in this event with 98 hits (73 in the qualification round and a perfect 25 in the final).[7]
Rhode won a gold medal at the1996 Summer Olympics, making her the youngest female gold medalist in the history of Olympic shooting.
Rhode won a bronze medal at the2000 Summer Olympics inSydney, Australia.
Rhode won a gold medal at the2004 Summer Olympics inAthens in Women's Double trap.
Rhode won the silver medal at the2008 Summer Olympics in women's skeet.
On July 29 at the2012 Summer Olympics, Rhode won the gold medal in skeet shooting with an Olympic record score of 99, tying the world record in this event.[8] With this medal, Rhode is the only American competitor to win medals for an individual event in five consecutive Olympics. She also became one of the three competitors (and the only woman) to win three Olympic individual gold medals for shooting, along withRalf Schumann ofGermany andJin Jong-oh ofKorea.
Qualifying for the2016 Summer Olympics made Rhode the first U.S. Olympian to qualify for an Olympic team on five different continents.[9] Kim Rhode won the bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics, making her the first Olympian to win a medal on five different continents, the first Summer Olympian to win an individual medal at six consecutive summer games, and the first woman to medal in six consecutive Olympics.
Rhode is co-host of theOutdoor Channel's TV programStep Outside.[10] Rhode studiedPre-veterinary medicine atCal Poly Pomona.[11]
On September 11, 2008, Rhode's competitionshotgun was stolen from her pickup; she had been using it in competition for eighteen years.[12] The gun was returned to her in January 2009 after it was discovered during an unrelated search of aparolee's home; the parolee was charged with possession of stolen property.[13] In the meantime fans had donated to buy her a new $13,000Perazzi shotgun. Having become used to training with the new gun, she elected to retire "Old Faithful" after four Summer Games.[14]
Rhode spoke at the2012 Republican National Convention, introducing several other Olympians on the stage.[15]
Rhode married Mike Harryman in 2009. Their son was born in 2013.[4][14]
In addition to being a member ofUSA Shooting's National Team, Rhode is an honorary lifetime member of theNational Rifle Association and a member ofSafari Club International.[4]
In July 2025, the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Rhode's lawsuit against the State of California. Rhode asserted that the California law requiring a background check violated her rights. Quoting Townhall Magazine, "The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that California’s law requiring background checks for people purchasing ammunition is unconstitutional."[16] The decision upholds a San Diego federal judge’s previous ruling that struck the law down.
| Olympic results | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 |
| Double trap |  Gold108+33 |  Bronze103+36 | Gold 110+36 | Not held | ||
| Skeet | Not held | 7th 69 | 5th 68+23 |  Silver70+23 | Gold 74+25 | Bronze 72+14+15(+3) |
| Trap | Not held | — | — | — | 9th 68 | — |
Olympic champions in women'sdouble trap | |
|---|---|
Olympic champions in women'sskeet | |
|---|---|
From 1972 to 1992, the skeet event was open to both men and women.Zhang Shan won this event in 1992, the only woman to do so. |
