Battle ace selected for Commonwealth Games

Battle shooter Steve Scott after winning a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

The Battle marksman was named in a squad of 20 athletes who will compete for Team England across all four shooting disciplines in Brisbane from April 8-14.

Shotgun shooter Scott is a double Commonwealth champion and Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallist.

He said: “It’s always an honour to represent England and on a personal level, to be attending my third Commonwealth Games is something I am very proud of.

“The aim will definitely be to try and win another gold medal, but I know it will be tough as the level of competition increases at every Games.”

Scott, the world ranked number seven double trap shooter, will be targeting a Commonwealth Games gold medal hat-trick.

He previously won the double trap pairs event in Delhi in 2010 and the individual double trap in Glasgow in 2014.

On that occasion Scott beat England team-mate Matthew French to secure gold in a dramatic and high quality final, hitting all 30 of his targets to win by one. French is also in the squad this time around, incidentally.

Scott continued: “I have some great memories from the shoot-off against Matthew French in Glasgow and if I come away from the Gold Coast with similar memories then I’m sure it’s going to be a brilliant Games.”

A proven performer at the highest level, Scott won his second World Championship bronze medal in 2014 and claimed his second European Championship gold in the same year.

The 32-year-old was victorious at the ISSF World Cup Final in Nicosia two years ago and produced a flawless display to defeat fellow Team GB marksman Tim Kneale in the Olympic bronze medal match last year.

Eleven of the athletes on the England team have experienced a Commonwealth Games previously, winning 21 medals between them.

Of those medal winners, Scott - one of 11 shotgun shooters in the England squad heading to the Gold Coast - is one of only two to have won gold medals at separate Commonwealth Games.

The other is Cobham-based full bore shooter Parag Patel, who has won gold medals at each of the last three Games (in addition to two silvers and a bronze).