SHOOTING: Australia has powered through the Oceania Continental Championship in Sydney, collecting 14 out of 15 available quotas, bringing the total to 18, one more than the London Olympic Games.
On the final day of the Oceanias, Keith Ferguson (Mentone, VIC) had his goal firmly set on winning the Men’s Skeet championship title, and that is exactly what he did, plus a quota for Australia.
Fellow Victorian James Bolding claimed the silver medal, and with that, picked up the second quota on offer. Paul Adams (Kippa Ring, QLD) won the bronze medal.
Ferguson’s steely focus helped get him through the tricky weather conditions that plagued the final.
“I’m stoked with the quota – it was a solid performance from all three Aussie boys in the final. I changed back to my old gun a few months ago and worked really hard and set my goal on winning this title and the quota.”
“I’ve got my sights firmly on Rio and I am very determined. I have lost weight, trained hard, I go to the gym and eat better – everything I can think of to get there,” Ferguson said.
Over in the 25m Rapid Fire pistol event, rising star Sergei Evglevski (Berwick, VIC) won the Championship title but the quota was won by bronze medallist David Chapman (Balaklava, SA), the only Australian in the final to have shot a minimum qualification score. Bruce Quick (Shepparton, VIC) took the silver.
Chapman said that his performance has left him with a quiet confidence and a fire in his belly to get to Rio.
“I was very pleased to get a good score in the first half of the qualifier and then just tried to remain consistent. We were three Aussies in the final and had to shoot-off for the medals, and whilst I certainly wasn’t nervous, I just tried to do the basics.”
“Sergei was very solid and proved to be the better one in the end. To get to Rio would be great, I really look forward to the challenge of the selection events early next year,” Chapman said.
Chef de Mission for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Kitty Chiller watched both the exciting finals.
“There’s 247 days to Rio today. Qualifications are on in earnest now right around the world and it’s great to see a total of 18 spots now for Shooting, one more than London.”
“Our goal is for Australia to be in the top five in the Olympic Games. To get a sport like Shooting back on to the podium with a couple of medals in Rio would be fantastic,” Ms Chiller said.
The first selection event will be the Australia Cup 2 In Adelaide for Rifle from 11 – 13 December 2015.
Sunita Miranda
Shooting Australia
