Skelhon shoots superb score to secure gold

By Paul Carter

Matt Skelhon won Britain’s first shooting gold of the 2008 Paralympics, with a near perfect display in the R3-10m air rifle prone at Beijing’s Shooting Hall Range.

Skelhon shot a perfect 10 in all six of his first series, scoring a world record-equalling 600 points.

The standard of shooting was so high that fellow Brit Nathan Milgate did not make the final with a score of 599, dropping just one point.

The quality continued into the final, where Skelhon scored 104.9, and needed fractions to separate him from Chinese shooter Zhang Cuiping, who took silver.

“To score 600 out of 600 after just one-and-a-half years of serious training is fantastic,” said team manager Pasan Kularatne.

“I’m really pleased that Matt won gold and especially with an equal world record and perfect score.”

Skelhon said: “I don’t know how I did it, I just calmed down and shot.

“I am satisfied with 704.9 [in total], although I could have done better. I actually put a lot of pressure on myself”.