Great Scott targets further glory

Battle shooting star Steve Scott is aiming for more success in 2015 after a brilliant 2014. Picture courtesy Southern News & Pictures (SNAP)

The Battle shooter enjoyed the best year of his career in 2014, winning medals at three major international competitions.

Scott struck gold in the men’s double trap discipline at the European Shotgun Championships and Commonwealth Games, as well as winning bronze at the 2014 ISSF World Shooting Championships.

He was also presented with the Freedom Leisure Sports Personality of the Year accolade at the Sussex Sports Awards in November.

Scott is hoping for more of the same in 2015 and his chief objective is to secure a quota place for Great Britain at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

He said: “My main aim is to win a quota place, and try and keep up my top 10 in the world performance. It was nice to be consistent; no other shooting athlete has ever shot as consistently as I have.”

Olympic quota places will be up for grabs in every major event during 2015. The winners will earn the quota places for their country and it’s then up to the country’s authorities to decide who those places should be awarded to.

Scott ended 2014 lying seventh in the world rankings - his best result to date. Incidentally, Tim Kneale, ranked 12, is the only other British shooter in the top 25 following the retirement of reigning Olympic champion Peter Wilson in October.

“I’ve got to still put a lot of time and hard work in to produce the same or similar results,” continued Scott, who last month attended the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show.

“I’m feeling good. I’ve been training on and off since the end of the season, but it’s been nice to have a break and to be at home for a consistent amount of time.”

Scott, who celebrated his 30th birthday yesterday (Saturday), will be heading out to Portugal for some warm weather training later this month before visiting Dubai for eight or nine days of solid training in the second half of February.

He is due to contest an ISSF World Cup event in Al Ain (United Arab Emirates) during the second half of March. The ISSF World Championship will take place in Lonato (Italy) during September, while the first Baku 2015 European Games will be held in Azerbaijan during June.

Scott, who represented Great Britain at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, has continually credited his coach Ahmad Al Maktoum (the 2004 Olympic gold medallist) for his success in 2014.