Sights Set On Tokyo 2020
12/13/2019 9:48:00 AM | Pistol, The People
DEC 13 2019
His dream had always been to be an Olympian and represent USA Shooting. As Anthony Lutz entered his college career, he chose Ohio State believing it would best lead him to that Olympic opportunity. But after only a couple of months in Columbus, Ohio, he received an offer he could not pass up. Lutz was moving to Colorado to become a resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center.
At a young age, in his hometown of Tonganoxie, Kan., Lutz could be found shooting rifles with a close friend who convinced him to pick up a pistol for the first time. Since then, Lutz has been unable to put it down.
He began competing at the Junior level, and made his first Junior National team in 2005 at the age of 16.
From there, Lutz shot for several National and World Cup teams which took him all over the world competing internationally.
Even with all of this success, it was not enough to quench his competitive thirst. Lutz began his Olympic chase in 2008 after the short stint at Ohio State. The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in Colorado Springs allowed him to work with the nation’s top coaches and trainers.
With all of the hard work he had put into the sport, Lutz believed he was ready to test his skills in the 2008 Olympic Trials. He was ultimately unsuccessful in his first try, but that did not discourage the young Lutz.
After his stay at the Olympic Training Center came to an end, he moved back home to continue training in hopes of returning to the national stage. In 2012, Lutz did just that when competing in his second Olympic Trials. There, he again missed the mark.
Twice, his dream was so close but just out of reach. It was devastating for Lutz, but this lit the fire in him to work even harder.
Over the next few years, Lutz attended nearby Ottawa University, earning a business degree. However, he could not stop thinking about his Olympic objective. Not only was Lutz practicing more than 20 hours a week, he was a full-time student as well.
“It was a lot,” Lutz said. “I didn’t get a lot of sleep.”
As the 2016 Olympics quickly approached, Lutz embarked on what he thought would be his last attempt at donning the Stars & Stripes. He worked harder than ever to get to where he wanted to be. But again, Lutz left defeated.
2012 was probably the hardest and then 2016 was really hard too.
Now back at Ohio State, Lutz is in his third season on staff under head coach Emil Milev. Lutz has found his true passion in coaching. The lessons he learned through his Olympic hopeful journey have allowed him to help his athletes.
“Coaching is better than competing honestly,” expressed Lutz with a smile. “I love it. It’s really fun seeing them reach their goals.”
Coaching is better than competing honestly. I love it. It’s really fun seeing them reach their goals.
It is evident that coaching is where he is meant to be. He leaves an enormous impact on the student-athletes.
“Coach Lutz is great at evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of shooters and using this to coach athletes in the most effective way possible,” Mike Soklaski, a member of the Ohio State Pistol team from 2014-18, said. “During a match if the wheels came off he knew what to say to get me back on track whether it was technical coaching, mental coaching or just cracking a joke to help me reset after something went wrong.”
The hard work and dedication that he has put into the sport is now something he is able to teach, evidenced by the Buckeyes winning the 2018 Intercollegiate Pistol Championships national team title in his first season as an OSU coach. Lutz also impacts the student-athletes away from the firing line.
“Coach Lutz cares about us, asking about our days and how we are feeling,” Samuel Gens, a junior on the Ohio State Pistol team, said. “The team is comfortable asking him to read over an email or just ask about any general problem we may have.”
With a little convincing from Milev, a six-time Olympian himself, Lutz has elected to set his sights on the Olympic target one last time. On December 16, he returns to the Olympic Training Center to face the best shooters in the country all vying for a ticket to Tokyo 2020. Whatever the outcome, he will always be grateful for the path that he has taken.
“I’m giving it one last try,” Lutz said. “I have a daughter and a wife now. I realized there’s other things in life that mean more. It’s still a goal, but it’s not the primary goal anymore.”
