sport, local-sport,

Days after claiming a silver medal at shooting’s world cup event in Mexico, James Willett is on the ground in Wagga – battling jet lag as well as competitors – at the National Down the Line (DTL) Championships. The 21-year old’s appearance sums up the regard in the sport for the annual Wagga event, despite being the tier below the Olympics and World Cup circuit on which Willett is fast making his name. “It’s a stepping stone, I guess, where we all start and where we all compete – there’s 600 shooters here this weekend, so obviously it’s a great competition,” Willett said. “Only living a couple of hours from here, down at Mulwala, it’s great to be able to just drive up here after landing back and come up and compete and catch up with everyone.” Willett holds the world number one ranking in double trap after winning gold at the first world cup event in New Delhi in February, where he also shot a world record score. It backed up the new Olympic record he set at Rio last year, after hitting 140 of 150 targets. Although Willett narrowly missed a medal, he ensured his place in history. “Unfortunately, they’ve taken double trap out of the Olympic program so my Olympic record will stand forever, so that’s one positive,” Willett said with a laugh. Double trap will remain Willett’s focus this year and into the 2018 Commonwealth Games, after which he’ll turn his attention to the single Olympic trap event. But this week, it’s on the DTL nationals which culminate on Sunday with selection of the Australian team for next year’s World Championships, which will also be held in Wagga. Five-time Olympian and 1996 double trap gold medallist, Russell Mark, says the DTL discipline is the sport’s lifeblood. “Virtually everybody that has been successful at the Olympic Games has come through this,” Mark said. “This is a massive feeder system into the Olympic level... anyone that’s anybody that’s been successful for Australia has competed in this tournament.” Mark says for him, like many, the nine-day nationals and their carnival atmosphere at Wagga, is more about socialising than serious competition. He passionately points to the sport’s broad base, available to competitors in wheelchairs, pensioners, children and a big percentage of female competitors. “There’s really no age barrier at this level of the sport and that’s why you get 600 competitors along,” Mark said. “At every level, the scores are significant and the standard of shooting has been particularly good this week.”

https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/LnGtdETgeChUuip9WuQrnS/7f857acd-68a9-4785-a007-2b3ab06916c2.jpg/r0_114_2834_1715_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg