FACT CHECK: Did Media And Sponsors ‘Ignore’ Olympian Kim Rhode Because She Is Pro-Second Amendment?

An image shared on Facebook claims the media and sponsors ‘ignored’ six-time Olympian Kim Rhode because she is an outspoken supporter of the Second Amendment.

Verdict: False

Rhode’s accomplishments were widely covered in the media for more than a decade. She has several sponsors, according to her website.

Fact Check:

The image shows Kim Rhode, an American double trap and skeet shooter and six-time Olympian, holding a shotgun. “First woman to medal in six straight Olympics media and sponsors ignore her because she is outspoken pro-2A,” reads text included in the image.

Rhode won Olympic medals in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016, making her the first female to win medals in six straight Olympics, according to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. (RELATED: Did American Runner Shelby Houlihan Test Positive For Marijuana?)

Rhode is also an outspoken supporter of the Second Amendment, according to the National Rifle Association (NRA). She served on the NRA board from 2017 to 2020, according to Guns.com, and has spoken out against gun control initiatives in her home state of California on multiple occasions.

News outlets and sponsors have not “ignored” Rhode for her stance on the Second Amendment. Rhode’s Olympic achievements have been thoroughly reported on over the years by major media outlets including: The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press, among others.

Rhode has also made several appearances on national television, such as Today and Fox News @ Night, according to her IMDb page. Her website states she is sponsored by Winchester Ammunition, Beretta USA, the Safari Club International and Truck Vault.

In an interview with Time Magazine in August 2016, Rhode did say she believes her outspokenness about gun issues has prevented her from landing mainstream sponsors. She has also said there is a certain “stigma” around her sport because of its association with guns that makes some would-be sponsors wary, The Daily Signal reported.

“When you look at the gun debate and the Olympics, there definitely is that stigmatism that’s attached to our sport due to all the negative publicity that guns get,” Rhode told The Daily Signal in 2016.

Rhode did not qualify for the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, NBC Sports reported.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases