Battle ace targets Olympic medal

Steve Scott is set to represent Team GB in the men’s double trap competition in Rio today (Wednesday).

Asked what he will be targeting at the Olympic Shooting Centre, Scott said: “Obviously to try and come back with a medal of some sort. I’ve been working my socks off and fingers crossed I’ll pull it out on the day.”

Scott flew out to Brazil on Thursday July 28, giving him virtually a fortnight to acclimatise and prepare for the competition. Official training ran from July 24 until last Thursday.

It will be Scott’s second Olympic Games. He finished 12th at the 2008 Games in Beijing, but wasn’t selected for London four years ago when Peter Wilson won double trap gold for Team GB.

“I think I’ve got a lot more of a professional approach to it now,” said Scott, looking back on his experience in China eight years ago. “Rather than the star-struck youngster kind of approach.”

The 32-year-old had a taste of the Olympic venue when he competed in the ISSF World Cup event in Rio during April. Scott finished ninth on that occasion, missing out on the semi-finals by one target, after the referee scored one of his rounds 28/30 when he felt it should’ve been 30/30.

Scott will go into the Olympics buoyed by winning gold in the men’s double trap team event at the recent European Shotgun Championships with British team-mates Matthew Coward-Holley and Tim Kneale. He also missed out on a place in the six-man semi-final in the individual event by a solitary target.

“That was a good bit of preparation before heading out there,” said Scott, who won the individual European title in 2008 and 2014. “I didn’t perform the best individually, but I was happy to win another medal.”

On the whole this year, Scott says he’s been ‘there or thereabouts’. He won a bronze medal at the prestigious Green Cup, finished fifth at the Cyprus Grand Prix, and won the UK Championships and selection shoots.

Scott’s selection for the Games was confirmed way back in November last year - three months after he earned an Olympic ‘quota’ place for Team GB by winning a silver medal at the Gabala 2015 World Cup.

A double World Championship bronze medallist, Scott - who is coached by Ahmed Al Maktoum and is the highest placed British shooter at 10th in the world double trap rankings - was victorious at the ISSF World Cup Final in Nicosia, Cyprus, last October.

He won double trap gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow having won the double trap pairs at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India.

Scott is one of 366 Team GB athletes competing across 23 sports. It’s the biggest British team at an away Games for 24 years and the squad is aiming for its best ever medal haul at an Olympics outside the UK.

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