TWO shots – that is all that separated Ben Emms from a Commonwealth Games medal in the Queen’s Prize Pairs event on Tuesday.
SO CLOSE: Ben Emms was in the bronze medal position after day one, but ended up sixth in the Queen’s Prize Pairs.
The Lyndhurst Rifle Club member and his Australian team-mate Jim Bailey placed sixth in the two-day event at Brisbane’s Belmont Full Bore Range with a score of 580 and 54v (centre bulls).
English duo Parag Patel and David Luckman claimed gold (584, 61v), Welsh duo Chris Wilson and Gareth Morris (582, 58v) were second while the bronze medals belonged to Scotland’s Alexander Walker and Ian Shaw (582, 49v).
Emms, who is making his Games debut, joined Bailey as one of 16 pairs vying for glory in the event that saw shooters face four ranges of increasing distance.
Emms and Bailey made an impressive start to their bid on Monday, ranking third after the 300, 500 and 600 ranges.
So close was the competition that it took a V count to separate the top three as England, South Africa and Australia all shot 299.
England (39v) held top spot, with South Africans Peterus Haasbroek and Jacobus (37v) and the Australians (35v) close behind.
Emms scored a perfect 50 for each of those ranges and was responsible half of Australia’s V count.
On Tuesday morning as the shooters returned for the 900 and 1000 yard ranges, there was a shuffling of the rankings.
The Welsh pair rocketed into the lead with their 147 14-v effort on the 990 yard range, South Africa moved into second, with England third and Emms and Bailey fourth.
The Australian pair trailed England by 4vs as they lined up for the final range. However, the pair were unable to climb the tightly packed leaderboard.
Emms gets another chance to medal in the Queen’s Prize individual event.
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