Richard Johnson, left, Rod White and Justin Huish react after the American team won the gold medal for men's team archery at the Stone Mountain Archery Center Friday Aug. 2, 1996. The American team defeated the South Korean team in the gold medal match at the Centennial Olympic games. (AP/Michael S. Green)
By Jeff Greenburg Herald Assistant Sports Editor
Olympic gold medalist Rod White.
The Hermitage archer better get used to those five words, because that's exactly how many people will be addressing him for years to come.
The local youngster made Mercer County and American history Friday after helping lead the U.S. Archery Team to a 251-249 victory over the favored South Korean squad and a gold medal in the Summer Olympics' team competition at Stone Mountain, Ga.
By capturing the gold, White became the first countian in the 100-year history of the Modern Olympiad to bring home a medal. His efforts also provided the United States with its first-ever team gold medal in men's archer.
Rod White shoots as the USA team qualifies for the quarterfinals in men's team archery at the Stone Mountain Archery Center Friday, Aug. 2, 1996. The USA team defeated the Indian team in the 1/8th round at the Centennial Olympic games. (AP/Michael S. Green)
All this is pretty heady stuff for a 19-year-old who little more than 14 months ago was receiving his diploma from Hickory High School.
"I'm starting to settle down now," White said Saturday afternoon, less than 24 hours after winning the gold. "It's hart to believe we got a gold medal. It's not hard to believe we don a medal round, but when you're sitting around and all of a sudden you realize it was for an Olympic gold medal, it's just a rush."
That rush was delayed momentarily following the win over South Korea, despite the fact White, the last of three American shooters in each of the final three rounds, believed his team had secured the victory.
"After I finished shooting, I knew they couldn't beat us, but they could tie us with a 30," White said. "(When South Korea's final shooter Oh Kyomoon) shot a nine, I yelled, 'Yea, we won,' but I turned around and there was no noise from the crowd."
White explained that "officials had marked some of the arrows that had landed in the targets as being in question."
So until the judges could get an up-close look at the targets, the Americans were given the lower of two possible scores. After the judges examined the targets, the Americans gained a point, and the Koreans lost one.
And White and teammates Butch Johnson and individual gold medalist Justin Huish had clinched the gold.
"There's no words to describe the feeling," White said of winning a gold medal.
There were a few, however, to describe what he was feeling on the medal stand during the playing of the National Anthem.
"There were so many things going through my head," White said. "I was still shaking so bad -- and I had never shaken that bad in any competition -- even my legs were shaking. I had a hard time even holding my bow on my last shot.
He apparently held on tight enough.
And what had been a bitter disappointment following a second-round loss in the individual medal competition on Tuesday had be some oh so sweet success on Friday.
"After the individual competition was over, Butch and I talked how we had worked so hard and didn't get anything," White said. "But my coach (Tim Strickland) said we really had to focus, that we had just as good a shot at the team medal as anyone. So I just went back and started working on my shot and execution."
It paid off.
White, in fact, nailed two 10s and an 8 to match Oh on his last three arrows, helping the Americans maintain their edge.
The key to victory?
"I think the big thing that helped us out was that all three of us had practiced together so long and knew each other well," he said. "That was a major part, being together and practicing together in San Diego all those months."
White, who will attend the University of Arizona in January, said this week he would like to come back and try for an individual and team medal in the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia. But "for the next couple years, I'm not sure what I'm going to do" as far as competitive archery.
White said he plans to attend just the major tournaments, like nationals, and some local 3-D competitions to work on his compound shooting.
There won't be any immediate rest for White, however, as he heads to Orlando, Fla., this week for the National Archery Championships.
For those locally hoping to organize a grand welcome home, White expects to be back in the area for some well-deserved rest and relaxation the following week... when Hermitage and Mercer County will finally get to greet Olympic gold medalist Rod White.
"It just hasn't sunk in yet," White said. "A log of world competitions and U.S. Olympic Festivals really helped prepare me for it. But every once in a while you sit back and can't help but think, 'Wow, I got an Olympic gold metal.' "
published Sunday, Aug. 4,1996
