” ! N O W I “ he Junior Biathlon
T at th e al Scout Ai r Ri fle Nation onsh i ps Cham pi
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cott aged 13 from 6th Fleet (Ancell’s Farm) Scout Group, has successfully represented his troop and won the Junior Biathlon at the National Scout Air Rifle Championships,which were held at the NRSA Bisley, Surrey. He was awarded the Normanton cup as well as a Gold Medal and received a Silver Medal for Pistol shooting.
He was part of a group of Scouts and Explorers from Odiham District including William, Ross, Callum, Thomas and Jack, who joined over 800 shooters from across the UK and Jersey to take part in the 37th National Scout Rifle Championships. All the young people who had taken part in previous years, improved their scores from last year by a significant margin. The weekend comprised of shooting competitions: Rifle, Pistol, Field Target, Small-bore, Knockout, Own Rifle, Own Pistol and Biathlon. The Scout Championships Biathlon is
based on the winter biathlon of Nordic skiing and shooting but replaces skiing with running. Rifles are not carried whilst running but remain on the range. Participants run 400 metres then shoot (standing) - run 400 m - shoot (kneeling) - run 400 m – shoot (prone) – run 400 m to finish. As a timed event the clock keeps ticking whether you are running or shooting and for every target missed there is a penalty of one minute added to the total time. Scott said of his achievements, “It was a tough competition and I had to work really hard in the weather conditions to succeed in the Biathlon. I have won medals for shooting over the last 2 years, but I am particularly proud of winning the Junior Biathlon trophy.” His brother, Ross, took part for the first time and enjoyed the experience. “I was a bit apprehensive before the competition because I had never entered anything like this before. However, I had a great time and it was
exciting taking part. I am really looking forward to competing again next year!” A lot of hard work and training goes into preparing the team for events like this and for Scott and the others who took part, their achievements are not just through their own commitment and dedication but due to the support of the 6th Fleets Scout Leader team, David Tyler, Nigel Cridland and Mike Jones. Scott, Jack, Thomas and William are part of the National Scout Rifle Squad. ( w w w. s c o u t s - s h o o t . o r g . u k ) , which is led by Assistant Hampshire County Commissioner and UK technical adviser John Dohoo. Scott can be seen in the picture above holding his trophy and medals. He’s also wearing the Blue Peter Sports Badge 2013 which he was recently awarded for inspiring others to take part in this sport. www. hampshirescouts.org.uk
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