Robert renders Woodland’s record score not enough
YOUNG Euan Robert and Amy Woodland produced record scores to finish in the top two spots at the Individual 10m Island Championship for the North United Trophy, which was held at Cobo United’s range.
The competitive air rifle sport has been gaining momentum over the past three years with the addition of some new young talent and Robert and Woodland are two of the finest.
The 2020 competition comprised of six competitors, five representing Cobo United, who had qualified for the A Class final and were on good form.
The final consists of a 60-shot qualifying match in 90 minutes and a further Olympic-style final of 10 shots each in 75 seconds for the top four qualifiers.
Current Island champion Paul Guillou knew that he would have to score highly in order to remain competitive against his closest competition in recent years – his wife Andrea.
Unfortunately Andrea had sprained her ankle that morning and, hardly able to walk, was being advised not to shoot, but she made it to the range nonetheless.
Junior talent Euan Robert has been posting excellent scores in recent months, assisted by his attendance at training camps run by the British Rifle Talent Squad.
Paul Guillou and Robert have been exchanging victories over each other at various events in the past months, while relative newcomers to the air rifle scene, Woodland and Luke Malcic, accomplished small-bore and full-bore shooters, had also been scoring highly and were in with a good chance of lifting the trophy.
As for North United’s Adam Norman, he has had variable form but has been one of only five in the last decade who have shot in the 570s.
On good form, Norman would be a real threat.
Surprisingly, Andrea Guillou stayed the course, standing without a break for 88 minutes of the 90 allocated for the 60-shot match.
Malcic took it to the wire, finishing 15 seconds before the end.
With all of the cards gauged, the results were somewhat surprising to most of the competitors.
Paul Guillou felt that he had shot well and in fact his tally of 576 was his highest in the competition. However, he found himself in third, behind Robert on 577 and more surprising, Woodland with a record score for this event of 579.
In fourth position and earning her place in the final was Andrea Guillou, who had started with a relatively low score of 87 in her first series of 10 shots but was able to dig deep and finish on a very respectable score of 572.
In spite of some good strings (a series of 10 shots) of 95 and above, Norman was unable to get into the 570s and missed out on a place in the final, as did Malcic, who started the competition well with a 96 string but lost valuable points in the next four series, finishing six points lower than he would have wished for.
The final followed quickly and this gave Robert more opportunity to demonstrate his impressive talent.
Sitting in second position, two points behind Woodland, he fired each shot consistently to end on an impressive 101.8, again another new record.
Woodland was unable to match Robert and fell back into second, while Paul Guillou stayed in third position while Andrea, despite the second highest final score of 98.7, stayed fourth.
More in Wednesday's Guernsey Press.
