GB win three medals in pre-Beijing shooting championships

By Paul Carter

Britain picked up three medals at the Para-Oceania Continental Shooting Championships, the final qualifying event ahead of the Beijing Paralympics.
Di Coates (pictured) took silver in the R2 10m air rifle standing, shooting a score of 100.7, while Mi Sook Lee from Korea claimed the gold medal with 103.6.

In the R3 10m air rifle mixed prone, Nathan Milgate took bronze with a score of 102.4, behind Australian Ashley Adams, who shot 104.3, and Abdulla Alaryani of the United Arab Emirates, who scored 105.4.

Milgate also took part in the R1 10m air rifle standing, finishing in seventh place.

Elsewhere, Karen Butler took bronze in the R8 50m sport rifle .22, the same result she achieved at the European Championships
in July.

In all, 65 athletes from almost 20 countries competed at the event, held in Sydney from 28 October to 4 November.

Great Britain team manager Pasan Kularatne said: “As well as giving our athletes an opportunity to score qualification marks for the Paralympic Games, these championships also gave some of the less experienced on the squad exposure to a major championships in a different timezone, which will be good preparation for Beijing next year.”