Third bronze for N.Z. shooters

Press, 30 July 1986, Page 48

Third bronze for N.Z. shooters

By TOM BRIDGEMAN NZPA staff correspondent Edinburgh New Zealand shooters notched up their third bronze medal of the Commonwealth Games but missed out on an expected possible gold medal by the tightest of margins yesterday. In the centre-fire pairs pistol shoot, Rex Hamilton, a silver medallist at Brisbane four years ago, and Barry O’Neale won the bronze, beaten by Australia and England. However the lull bore rifle pairs Frank Godfrey and Chester Burt missed out on any medal after a countback to separate three teams — Northern Ireland, England and New Zealand — all tied on 582. The full bore rifle pairs was extremely close for the first two placegetters, Canada and Australia, were also tied only one point ahead of the next three. Canada (583) was awarded the gold, Australia (583) the silver, Northern Ireland (582) the bronze. England and New Zealand were fourth and fifth respectively. "We should have won it,” said New Zealand shooting manager Graeme Hudson. “Going into the final 1000 yard range we were in second place, but unfortunately Frank Godfrey had a bad start firing 68 and having a couple of loose shots. Chester came back with 73 but it was too much behind.

“Chester had the top individual points on the day, 295 out of 300, so that augurs well for the

individual shoot in a couple of days time,” he said. “It was a disappointment to be so close and yet be so far away. We knew perhaps there would only be a couple of points in it but to have five teams tied is very unusual. “The guys are very disappointed.” ' In the pistol shoot two Australians, Phil Adams and Rod Hack, set a new Commonwealth Games record wth a combined title of 1165. ' /■; England won the silver with 1157 while Hamilton (581) and O’Neale (572) scored 1153 for bronze. Although pleased to win the medal both men thought they could have done better. “We are both capable of another five or six points,” said Hamilton, aged 58, an Auckland builder who said this would be his last Commonwealth Games. ; :i “We are pleased to get a bronze, It’s good to win a medal. To be second or third in the Commonwealth is something to be proud of.” O’Neale, from Featherston, said one of his duelling segments was.’inot particularly bright” , ‘ He said that while .he was pleased to get a medal he felt he got more satisfaction out of his third placing at the South Pacific regional shooting competition in Brisbane in February where he shot a total 580, six more than yesterday. i Both men now prepare for individual competition events. v .