Waterford

A warm welcome for an Olympian

Olympic bronze medalist Madelynn Bernau, of Waterford, waves from atop a float during a parade in her honor on Saturday. Bernau won her medal in the first-ever mixed trap shooting competition in the Tokyo Olympics. (Photo by Chad Hensiak)

Waterford shooter earned bronze medal in Tokyo

By Jason Arndt

Staff Writer

Waterford’s Maddy Bernau received warm welcome from her hometown Saturday with a parade after she earned a bronze medal in the first-ever Olympic trap mixed team competition during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Bernau, a 2016 Waterford Union High School graduate, competed for Team USA in women’s trap/mixed team trap at the Olympic Games.

The bronze medalist, greeted by hundreds lining the streets in downtown Waterford, told the crowd of her experiences in Tokyo, Japan.

“When I landed in Tokyo, I still honestly couldn’t believe I was there,” she said. “It was almost like, not a deja vu moment, but stuff was (happening so fast) and you couldn’t grasp what was happening yet.”

Bernau said she entered the Olympic Games as the most inexperienced shooter, with her teammates having more time under their belts, especially on the international stage.

“That was only my fifth ever international trip, which all of my other teammates have been on 10, 15, 20 and I was the most inexperienced one,” she said.

“I just happened to be the one to make the winning shot (for the bronze medal) and that is kind of how it worked.”

To read the full version of this story, including additional comments from Bernau on the Olympic experience, see the Aug. 20 edition of the Waterford Post or Westine Report.

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