GEORGIA, USA — Katelyn Abeln, a Douglasville native, is heading to Paris this summer to compete in her very first Olympics. After narrowly missing a spot in the Tokyo Olympics four years ago, Abeln has now qualified for both the 10m air pistol and 25m sport pistol events.
“It’s a dream come true,” Abeln said. “My goal has always been to qualify for the Olympics in sport pistol. To make it in two events is incredible.”
Abeln's journey to the Olympics began at a young age. She joined a 4-H BB gun club in the 4th grade. By 12, Abeln decided to learn air pistol with her father Jerry by her side.
“My dad started a team for air pistol for me and two other girls,” Abeln said.
They trained at a local CrossFit gym and in her basement. It was this foundation that led Katelyn to find her passion and true skill in shooting.
Her very first match was a Junior Olympic qualifier, which she qualified for, and went on to compete. Since then, Abeln has competed around the world and has won several medals including a silver medal at the World Championships in 2018.
Despite her success, Abeln faced a major setback in 2020 when she fell just short of qualifying for the Tokyo Games. She was selected as an alternate that did not travel to Tokyo.
“I went through the same process in 2019 and 2020 and came up short and got third place in sports pistol, which was really devastating for me,” Abeln said. “I struggled a bit with it after, but it eventually pushed me to train harder and go for Paris.”
Training is a rigorous part of Abeln's routine, which she is balancing as a graduate student.
“I train about 5-6 days a week, about 3-4 hours a day right now. I balance that with classes and homework and looking for internships and stuff like that,” Abeln said.
The South Paulding High School graduate is currently a first-year graduate student at Ohio State University, where she is studying Public Health and Epidemiology. She’s also a key member of the university's pistol team, which has won three national championships.
But as she prepares for the biggest stage of her career, Abeln admits her biggest fear is the unknown. Despite the challenges and setbacks, Abeln remains focused on her goals and said her family and coaches are helping her prepare for every shot.
“I’m a completely different person than I was four years ago,” Abeln said. “It’s a wild dream of mine to make an Olympic team, so the fact that I did it twice, it’s really amazing.”