Little joy for top national marksmen

Press, 29 February 1984, Page 36

Little joy for top national marksmen

By

DAVID LEGGAT

The national selectors for the various shooting disciplines might well have got it right when, at the conclusion of the recent South Pacific regional championships in Christchurch, they collectively nominated just two marksmen to make an international tour early in April.

A team of 10 was to be announced to travel to Mexico for the important Benito Juarez competition and then on to Los Angeles for the pre-Olympic Games championship. Those nominations were to be made to the New Zealand Shooting Federation. But with New Zealand’s marksmen having so little to cheer about during the week in Christchurch, the selectors clearly felt there was no justification for sending competitors who were not up to scratch. The two who will travel to Mexico and Los Angeles are the double Commonwealth Games skeet champion, John Woolley, who did not compete in Christchurch, and the 50metre smallbore marksman, Stephen Petterson, of Auckland. Both selections are fully warranted — Woolley’s because of his outstanding record, and Petterson’s because he displayed superb form both at the South Pacific championshp and in winning the national 50 and 100 yards title at Wanganui a week earlier, breaking the Australian domination on the event. Petterson shot right up to the top international standards at Christchurch. His badge match score of 597.13 would have put him in the top nine at the Moscow Olympic Games four years ago, and was comfortably enough for him to head off the leading Australian, Alan

Smith. In the English match, the positions were reversed, with Petterson recording 1189, for second spot, a point behind Smith. Interestingly, third place in both events went to the veteran Levin man, Brian Lacey, whose best years, by rights, should have been behind him. He proved he still has something to offer. Petterson, even if he does hot match those lofty performances on the overseas trip, should still have done enough to pack his bags for Los Angeles later this year. The same applies to Woolley. There is a chance that a third shooter might also be nominated by the Federation. Murray Cameron of Woodville requires a top result from the Australian championships this week to be considered. His performance in the skeet event at Christchurch was full of merit. He recorded scores of 99 and 96 on the Yaldhurst range to take the gold medal with an aggregate of 195. His first round score gave him a three-shot cushion, and .jpnly the second-placed Australian, Brian Thomson,

bettered him on the second day. Cameron took over Woolley’s place as the No. 1 in the New Zealand team, once the English-born Woolley withdrew. Among those who failed to match his exacting standards were the experienced Australian duo, lan Hale and Alex Crikis. They had a shoot-off for third spot after finishing level on 189. Hale took the bronze by a shot. New Zealand’s pistol contingent at Christchurch could not mix it successfully with the powerful Australians. Nick Wells of Napier, one of the three national selectors for the discipline, can remember the championships with some personal satisfaction, however. His 575 in the rapid fire final, which earned himj. fourth place, was his personal best mark. What the various selection panels did not consider, obviously, was the experience its promising marksmen would have gained from the trip to Mexico and the pre-Olympic meeting in Los Angeles. Perhaps the financial factor weighed heavily, but it was an ideal opportunity to blood the best of the competitors — Gavin Searle and Graeme Ede in the shotgun trench, Eddie Adlam in the air rifle spring to mind as the pick of those on show in Christchurch. The Federation will not go above the heads of the discipline selectors. As the Federation secretary, Mike Watt, put it, the N.Z.S.F. is “a clearing house" for the various bodies. “There is no way we would go over the heads of the individual sports," he added. Therefore, New Zealand's shooting representation looks like being confined to Petterson, Woolley and, jgssibly, Cameron. y