LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — The new format of the Shotgun event in the ESPN Great Outdoor Games will likely produce some new heroes.

After round one, Doug Fuller, 2000 gold medalist and 2001 silver medalist, is gone. Dustin Long, the reigning champion, narrowly missed elimination. A silver medalist in the 2001 Rifle event is still in. And some of the GO Games veterans have been beat by rising young stars.

"I'm not going to say it was the new game," Fuller said. "For me, I just didn't shoot well, and it wouldn't have mattered if I'd been shooting the Grid, I'd still be gone."

In previous years, the Shotgun event was shot utilizing a grid of circles, where shooters broke targets in the center for a sum total of points. Some of the targets were worth five points, others three points and the easiest shots worth one point.

The new game pits shooters going head to head in a five-target sequence of flying, bouncing and rising shots worth one point each. Each sequence is different and targets appear in three-second intervals. The difference in this game is who can hit the target quickly and reload before the next one appears.

	“	I think this game shows more of our shooting ability. Instead of spot shooting, you are actually making the right kind of moves and swings at the target. ”
		— Doug Fuller

"I think this game shows more of our shooting ability," Fuller said moments before being eliminated. "Instead of spot shooting, you are actually making the right kind of moves and swings at the target.

"It's an exciting contest, but I would have just have assumed they'd left it alone."

Fuller's final comment was in jest, but he may be even more likely to wish that after his opening round defeat.

"I think it opened the door for a lot more shooters to win," Fuller said.

The basis of that comes in the fact that shooters like Fuller and Long react quickly, shoot fast. But in the new event, "You can shoot at whatever pace you want to shoot," Fuller said.

Those leading the new pace were Tre Sides, a newcomer, who shot a perfect round of 20 to set up a match up with Long in Friday's quarterfinal round.

Following him is 22-year-old Kim Rhode, an Olympic gold and bronze medalist in trap shooting, who dispatched veteran Linda Joy. And Doug Koenig, who won silver in the Rifle event last year, qualified for this new game and remains in contention.

In all, there were three shooters with perfect scores, two of whom are competing in their first GO Games.

"This is definitely a new deal," Long said. "I didn't know what to expect. I was nervous. But I think I like it, it's still real quick shooting and requires quick reflexes."

The opening round match ups ended like this: Dustin Long (19 points) defeated Jackie Caudle (17 points); Tre Sides (20) defeated Ed Arrighi; David McHugh (19) defeated Jon Kruger (18); Kim Rhode (19) defeated Linda Joy (14); Robbie Purser (20) defeated Doug Fuller (16); Doug Koenig (19) defeated Mike Clayton (8); Scott Roberson (20) defeated Bobby Fowler (18) and Jeff Vick (17) defeated Gary Bloom (16).

Those remaining in the original 16-shooter field will shoot their way through a bracketed format in three rounds to get to a final two shooters.

The final is scheduled to begin Friday at 9 p.m. ET.