Michelle Smith

Today saw my first match of this competition which had a number of funny events for me!

Once again there was another total lack of consideration this morning from the same person!

My match was at 10:05 this morning so I took a trip down to the range at 830 after a nice light breakfast (the hotel has sugar puffs )

I was happy with the sighters on my match.. I’m still trying to get everything to be the same no matter what the shot it or where it is taking place, this is something I’ve had discussions about with our sports physiologist.

Still in the back of my head is that bloody awful first shot nerves…  I know in the back of my mind that as soon as that button is pressed to start the match there is no going back and that it all counts from there… this is definitely something I do need to work on

Pop…..  A 10!  Good start that will do I started to settle down ok after that

After my 4-5 shot of the match I noticed that Donald, who was behind me, had got up and was speaking to the range officers   I’d probably forgotten to do something or summat.  I wasn’t interrupted in my shoot so I just got on with the match and put that to the back of my mind

It wasn’t until my shot 8 that I realised what the problem actually was… I had more pellets in my tray than what should be and after a little look at the monitor I realised that I had a ‘0’   I turned around to Donald and gave him a funny look to which he waved for me to come off the point.

I am so thankful that Donald was behind me plotting my shots as he was telling me that he had looked up and my screen to see shot 3, he wrote down the score and looked again to see a zero… this was why he was talking to the range officers   if he hadn’t I would have lost the 10 points possible for that score.

It was quiet funny really because he commented on the fact he was wondering how long it would take me to realise but in all honesty its good in some ways that I had not seen it as that is exactly part of something I had been working on during training….  Accepting the outcome of the shot and getting on with the next one!

Back on the point and continue with the rest of the match.  After my 27^th shot I came off the point again and had a good natter with Donald, it is good to be able to come off the point and make the most of the facilities which are available and a coach, whether it is your own, your home country coach or the national coach, is there for you to make the most of.  But not in a total take advantage way!

After getting a good whinge off my chest and in receipt of some good advice I went back onto the firing point, took a few moment to myself and shot my bloody socks off, 13 brilliant and consecutive 10s.   Well happy with that