Australia thanks the Gold Coast for a Memorable Games

Australian Team Chef de Mission Steve Moneghetti today thanked the people of the Gold Coast and Queensland for hosting a memorable Commonwealth Games.

Australian Athletes including gold medallists Mark Knowles, Bronte Campbell, Dan Repacholi, Madison de Rosario and Gold Coast local Skye Nicolson gathered at Surfers Paradise this morning to thank the local community for their overwhelming support of the Games.

Moneghetti said the support of Gold Coast locals, Queensland and across Australia had helped the entire team achieve incredible results. “I am incredibly proud of our Australian Team for how they have competed and the success which they have achieved on the Gold Coast,” he said.

“Our total of 198 medals including 80 gold is the best return from an Australian Commonwealth Games team since our last home Games in Melbourne 2006. “But the medal tally is just one measure of success.

“I have been so thrilled to see how our athletes have embraced competing in front of a home crowd. In every venue, at every session, the support for our team was just amazing.

“Our Australian team totalled 710, but it felt like we had the support of more than 24 million Australian’s on our side.

“That support also came from the enormous group of wonderful volunteers who made these Games possible and who offered a friendly face at every turn,” he said.

Australian Commonwealth Games CEO Craig Phillips said success on the Gold Coast had been a team effort. “Gold Coast 2018 has been an overwhelming success,” he said.

“Australia has a proud history of hosting successful Commonwealth Games and Gold Coast 2018 will long be remembered as one of the best.

“The support for our Australian Team and the overall success of the event has really shown us that the Games will always have a home in Australia.

“Commonwealth Games Australia is proud to have worked closely with key delivery partners including GOLDOC, Queensland Government, Gold Coast City Council and Australian Government to deliver a great event. Our high performance partners including the AIS, State and Territory Institutes of Sport and Australian Paralympic Committee helped create the successful performance environment for our team that gave them every chance of success.

“We also acknowledge the wonderful support of the Commonwealth Games Australia sponsor family led by The Star, Griffith University, Tafe Queensland, Optus, Atos and Woolworths,” Phillips said.

The original article can be found on the Commonwealth Games website here

Silver medallist Jim Bailey

BRISBANE – Defending champion David LUCKMAN (ENG) was chaired from the range after winning his second gold medal at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, adding the Queen’s prize individual fullbore rifle gold medal to his pairs crown at the Belmont Shooting Centre on Saturday 14 April.

It means he has won the individual and pairs titles at consecutive Commonwealth Games. On Saturday (14 April) he also broke the Games record he set at Glasgow 2014 (401-42 central bulls) with 404 points and 49 central bulls.

Silver medallist Jim BAILEY (AUS) led the three-day competition – which is shot from 300, 500 and 600 yards twice and then from 900 and 1000 yards on the third day – from the second range on Wednesday 11 April, but was shadowed by LUCKMAN throughout.

LUCKMAN then narrowed the margin with a brilliant 900-yard shoot, pulling back four central bulls to trail by just one central bull heading into the final range. Then he pounced in the final 15-shot round, with five central bulls worth 74-6.

England’s Parag PATEL overturned his lower-ranked position with the best score of the final round (75-7) to claim bronze, his eighth Commonwealth Games medals from four appearances.

LUCKMAN enjoyed the tradition of sitting aloft the Queen’s chair, which is honoured by Queen’s prize winners around the globe.

He rode on the shoulders of fellow shooters from the range to the medal ceremony in 2014, but at Belmont they made a shorter trip as the range is about 800m from the finals hall where the medals were presented.

Commonwealth Games News Services

Golden birthday celebration for Australia’s SCANLAN

BRISBANE – Australia’s Laetisha SCANLAN celebrated her 28th birthday in the best possible way, winning a title in the women’s trap at the Belmont Shooting Centre on Friday 13 April.

The qualification eliminated some high-profile contenders with Rio 2016 Olympic Games gold medallist Catherine SKINNER (AUS) and Rio 2016 silver medallist Natalie ROONEY (NZL) missing the final.

Defending Glasgow 2014 champion, SCANLAN also went close to elimination, just making it through to the final as the last and sixth qualifier after a tense shoot-off with ROONEY.

SCANLAN, who had also made the final in Glasgow after a shoot-off, started the final session strongly, taking a lead in the first 10 targets then hitting all from 19 to 27 to increase the margin before clinching the gold medal with a Commonwealth Games record of 38.

Kirsty BARR (NIR) took silver with 37, her first Commonwealth Games medal at her third Games.

Top qualifier for the final, Sarah WIXEY (WAL), claimed bronze with 28. The Welsh shooter was second after the 30th target, but then four consecutive misses cost her a chance for the silver medal.

Commonwealth Games News Services

Sergei Evglevski Silver before he could fire his last five shots

BRISBANE – Fifteen-year-old ANISH (IND) became the youngest Indian to win Commonwealth Games gold when he spun his magic in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol at the Belmont Shooting Centre on Friday 13 April.

 

ANISH, the top qualifier with 580 and 22 central bulls, started with two possible fives, racing to a three-point margin. He stumbled with a three and a one before scoring another five to lead by four points over EVGLEVSKI.

England’s Sam GOWIN, who took up the sport just a year ago, survived two shoot-offs, firstly eliminating Neeraj KUMAR (IND) and then reigning champion David CHAPMAN (AUS) to make the top three.

EVGLEVSKI assured himself of silver with a perfect round as ANISH managed a three (22-20).

ANISH scored three and EVGLEVSKI four as GOWIN dipped out with bronze.

In the gold-medal round, with just a one-point margin, ANISH, who won the silver at the Commonwealth Shooting Championships in November 2017 at Belmont, displayed his skill and promise with a magical maximum of an unbeatable 30 points.

EVGLEVSKI shot a valiant four to claim his first Commonwealth medal and join his mother, 10-time Commonwealth medallist Lalita YAUHLEUSKAYA (AUS), in the history books.

Commonwealth Games News Services

Women’s trap offers up a replay of Rio 2016 Olympics drama

BRISBANE – Rio 2016 Olympic Games gold medallist Catherine SKINNER (AUS) and silver medallist Natalie ROONEY (NZL) will feature in the women’s trap final at Belmont Shooting Centre on Friday 13 April.

SKINNER is the world No.1 and grabbed silver at the 2018 International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico, in March. ROONEY is No.7 in the world. Just one target separated them in Rio after SKINNER only scraped into the gold medal match.

Defending Commonwealth Games champion Laetisha SCANLAN (AUS) won a title at the 2017 Commonwealth Shooting Federation Championships at Belmont in November, making her the main rival for SKINNER and ROONEY.

In the men’s trap, Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games champion Aaron HEADING (ENG) can make it two out of three after he claimed silver in the gold medal match against Adam VELLA (AUS) at Glasgow 2014.

HEADING can expect a battle with countryman Edward LING (ENG), a Rio 2016 bronze medallist in the men’s trap and ranked No.3 in the world.

Indian Army officer Neeraj KUMAR is an interim leader after stage one (12 April) in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol and local hope Sergei EVGLEVSKI (AUS), who won gold at the 2017 Commonwealth Shooting Federation Championships, is six points away in fifth place and well within reach of making it through to the final on Friday 13 April.

Commonwealth Games News Services

Veteran Australia shooter CHAPMAN takes on the young guns

BRISBANE – Defending champion in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol, David CHAPMAN (AUS), will begin his attempt to retain the title on home soil when he competes in qualification at Belmont Shooting Centre on Thursday 12 April.The 53-year-old farmer from South Australia hasn’t competed at any international events since the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and is looking forward to testing himself at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

One of CHAPMAN’s strongest opponents is 15-year-old Indian young gun , who has been one of the most consistent shooters over the past six months. ANISH won gold at the Sydney 2018 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup in Sydney in March, and silver at the 2017 Commonwealth Shooting Federation Championships at Belmont last November.

In fullbore Queen’s prize individual event, Jim BAILEY (AUS) is the interim leader, with New Zealand’s John SNOWDEN and Brian CARTER second and third respectively after day one on Wednesday 11 April.

Commonwealth Games News Services

Gold Coast Commonwealth Games: Hunter’s Dan Repacholi claims gold medal with last international shot

Retiring shooter Dan Repacholi has claimed the Hunter’s second gold medal of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games after taking out the men’s 50 metre pistol event on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old, with his wife Alex and two daughters in the stands at the Belmont Shooting Centre, finished 6.7 points ahead of his nearest rival Bangladesh’s Shakil Ahmed (220.5). India’s Om Mitharval (201.1) was third.

“It’s amazing,” he told Channel 7 straight after the victory. “To win gold in front of my beautiful wife, my two beautiful kids and all our family it’s fantastic.”

Repacholi said the result could have been different without the home-crowd support.
“Definitely [you get something from them],” he said. “It was great, they were behind me the whole way. I don’t know if the same result would have happened if they weren’t here or if it was in another country.”

Earlier this week Repacholi was fourth in the final of the 10m air pistol, which he won in Glasgow in 2014, but bounced back for the longer-distance decider, “I continued to build and build and build throughout the final and just got better as it went,” he said. “That’s what you need to do in a final, unfortunately I didn’t get to do that in the last event two days ago but this time I have so it’s fantastic.”

The four-time Olympian now has six medals, featuring three gold, from four Commonwealth Games appearances starting in Melbourne 12 years ago.

Before the event he announced this would be his last international shoot.

Original article by Josh Callinan can be found here.

Women’s 25m pistol: GALIABOVITCH (AUS) – silver

BRISBANE – Comments from Elena GALIABOVITCH (AUS) following the women’s 25m pistol final at Belmont Shooting Centre on Tuesday (10 April).Elena GALIABOVITCH (AUS) – silver

On her performance:

“Feels really good, I am just really tired, this has been a really big effort, I had a really great start and it is a bit of a marathon to keep going and I just did the best that I could. I couldn’t wish for a better home Games.

“That was an epic day of shooting, and it really took a big effort and I am more than happy to come away with another medal.

“It is hard to complain about a silver medal at a Commonwealth Games, now I have got two.”

On her preparations:

“I get a lot of energy from people and it was important for me to relax for this event, I went back to the hotel and had some time to myself away from the competition environment.”

“In rapid fire you need to be really disciplined and I struggled with my mind a little bit.”

About the crossover with shooting and her job as a doctor (she is training to be a heart specialist):

“I don’t think it is necessarily the skill itself but there are certain attitudes and mindset like precision, attention to detail and working really hard. I know what it takes to get to this level in shooting and it is the same with surgery, you have to work your arse off.”

Commonwealth Games News Services

Bendigo rifle shooter James Daly finishes sixth at Commonwealth Games

BENDIGO rifle shooter James Daly will leave Queensland next week without a Commonwealth Games medal, but with his reputation enhanced.

The 29-year-old placed sixth in the 50m rifle prone final at the Belmont Shooting Complex in Brisbane on Tuesday.

He earlier qualified for the final in first place after he posted a brilliant qualifying round score of 620.5.

Daly, who was competing at the Games for the first time, admitted to a few jitters on Tuesday morning.

“It would have been magnificent to podium, but really I’m just thrilled to get to the final,” he said.

“I am not normally nervous before a competition, but I was spilling my crumbs everywhere because I couldn’t hold my toast.

“I needed to get away from the group, put the headphones in and play some games on my phone and that helped me get back to normal.

“When I got down to the shoot, I just laid down on the ground and got the heart rate down and everything just came together for the qualifying.

“It was a very, very good experience.”

Daly’s sixth placing followed on from a seventh in his ISSF World Cup debut in Germany last year.

He believed the Australian team had fared reasonably well at the Games across most disciplines.

“The rifle team has gotten into every single final so far, including two in the men’s air-rifle,” he said.

Sampson claimed gold in the men’s 10m air rifle on Monday, while Melbourne-based doctor Elena Galiabovitch on Tuesday added a silver in the women’s rapid fire pistol to her bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol on Sunday.

Original article by KIERAN ILES found here

Ben Emms narrowly misses out on Commonwealth Games “Pairs” medal

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.

For see here for ANYA WHITELAW original article