World University Shooting Championships Kazan, Russia 2012
Tuesday 02 October 2012
This September I was part of the Great Britain Shooting Squad that went to Kazan, Russia to compete in the World University Shooting Championships. After over a day travelling- including five hours in Moscow customs and a plane being held for us- we finally arrived in the Athlete Village in Kazan. The city is hosting the World University Games in 2013 so there are currently huge construction works being carried out throughout the city. However the Village was finished and the size of it was remarkable. Built to host over ten thousand athletes plus support teams we occupied only a tiny corner of the Village.
After a few days spent acclimatising- sleeping and taking advantage of the free wifi – we had our first training sessions in the newly built ranges. The ranges were custom built for the Universiade and kitted out in new electronic targets; the smooth running of equipment means we could focus on training without worrying about technical difficulties. Helping us settle into the new environment we would be competing in within a few days.
The team of seven covered all three disciplines of shotgun, pistol and rifle. I was part of the rifle contingent along with another girl and two boys. We girls competed first in the air rifle discipline, where we shoot standing up at a target 10 metres away. The standard was world class, with scores only one point of the world record, a perfect 400 out of 400 being hit. My score placed me 52nd, which I was slightly disappointed with. However I am happy with my technical ability and discipline throughout the match; I completed my technical process goal even though I wasn’t completely happy with the end result. The experience of competing at such a high calibre match was amazing, where you were striving for perfection and some competitors were almost reaching it.
I was confident going into the Prone Rifle event; my shooting with the .22 rifle had been progressively stronger throughout the summer. I had the chance to compete in lots of competitions, including the European Junior Championships and shot a new Personal Best of 587 out of 600 only two weeks before travelling to Kazan. The Prone Rifle event is done with .22 rifles at 50 metres outside in the prone position (lying on your stomach). The conditions for my match were very tricky, meaning I was gambling throughout on changing wind and light. Sometimes I was lucky and shots pulled through but sometimes I wasn’t, although overall I shot a match my coach and I were happy with, placing 39th. My shots were good and executed correctly but I did get caught with conditions now and then.
My trip to Kazan such a good experience, travelling and competing as part of the GB team to a major championship was amazing. Coming at the end of a long international season I still learned lots technically about my shooting, air rifle in particular, as well as about performing at such a huge event. I can take these things forward to another year of shooting, putting them into action and hopefully competing at the World University Games next year. I am very grateful to the University of St Andrews for the support given to me this past year, particularly Saints Sport who have helped me lots: as a Saints Sports Scholar and with financially supporting me and sending me to Russia. Without this support I undoubtedly would have struggled to compete as fully as I did this summer, having to miss competitions which put me in good stead for the World University Championships. The University Rifle Club has also been a great support for me, facilitating my training needs and welcoming me to the club in my first year!
If you would like to know more or get involved email rifle@saints-sport.com
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