THE RISE AND RISE OF CASEY KAUFHOLD

At the start of 2018, in the U.S. National Indoor Championships, at just 13 years old, Kaufhold destroyed the senior, junior and cadet national records with a score of 1162 out of 1200 over two days of competition.

For the incredibly consistent teenager with the explosive follow-through, this was the first real statement of intent. But then, at the first major indoor world series event of last year, the GT Open in Luxembourg, she won outright, taking her first senior title – but not before demolishing the cadet world record with 589 out of 600 in qualifying.

In Nimes this year, she again scythed through the field to a gold final against the experienced Korean international Kang "The Destroyer" Chae Young, who had previously pushed her out of the running in Rome. It was not to be a win, but Kang was complimentary afterwards. “I’m amazed at how she was able