British Shooting hosted the National Finals for the Schools Pistol Championship at Stoke Mandeville Stadium on 17 January, reports Andy McGarty.
No fewer than 500 entrants from 280 different schools in England, Scotland and Wales, previously took part in five regional qualifying events to leave 120 finalists in three different age groups. The final featured both Individual and Team events.
Championships Ambassador pistol shooters Issy Bailey (Rio 2016 Paralympian) and Kristian Callaghan (GB and England Team athlete) came out to Stoke Mandeville to support the event and meet young athletes who are inspired by their great achievements.
The standard of shooting was incredibly high and each final hotly contested. The Intermediate final was neck and neck until the very last two shots, with Charlotte Hicks from Cornwall finally taking gold. With such a high standard you have to wonder if one or more of the competitors are going to be a future international champion.
The competition was organised by Gorgs Geikie, British Shooting commercial and events co-ordinator, who said: “We are so happy after a hugely successful competition. It has grown year-on-year and we hope this will inspire those who took part to stay involved in the sport for years to come. We can’t wait to get going again for the 2018/19 Championships at the end of this year.”
Leave a Reply