Glasgow 2014 - Commonwealth Games Sports Guide: Shooting

By Steven Oldham

Click HERE for Commonwealth Games 2014 homepage

Shooting is another longstanding Commonwealth sport, only missing from one Games since 1966.

Four different types of shooting are contested at this year's Games in Glasgow - clay target, full bore and pistol & small bore rifle shooting.

Over half of the shooting competitions from the last Commonwealth Games in Delhi have been axed for Glasgow, reducing from 44 to just 19.

WHEN?

Shooting runs from July 25-29 with many events settled on one day.

WHERE?

One of the events taking place outside Glasgow, shooting will be happening at the Barry Buddon Shooting Centre on a Ministry of Defence traning base in Carnoustie.

The satellite location will provide a mix of existing and temporary shooting ranges for the Games to ensure all shooting events take place across one site, making it easier for fans and logistically for athletes and organisers.

WHO?

Last time out in Delhi the home nation effect was in full swing with India taking home top spot on the medal table with an impressive 14 golds. They were understandably less impressive at the Olympics, failing to win more than silver at London 2012 so it will be interesting to see if they can retain top spot on this leaderboard. Five time Commonwealth champion Vijay Kumar - who won his country's only silver in London -  is back to see if he can win gold at a third successive Games.

The home nation banner passes to Scotland this year and they will be intent on improving on fourth place in the medal table this time round. They won four golds in Delhi. Jennifer McIntosh and Jonathan Hammond - both double gold winners in singles and pairs competitions last time - are back for more.

England's Steve Scott won the European Championships last month and will be looking to carry that momentum forward to Glasgow. He also won gold in Delhi four years ago and will be among the favourites to add to his tally later this month.

Singapore's pedigree in shooting has steadily improved over the last decade and shooting accounted for five of their eleven gold medals last time so it will be interesting to see if they can retain their momentum in Glasgow.

The usual suspects, Australia and New Zealand are also strong here. The bronze medals were shared between many nations in Delhi however suggesting a close playing field.
 
LET ME SOUND LIKE I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT...

• Clay target shooting is perhaps the 'classic' style of shooting we are used to seeing in these competitons. It's the one where they shout 'pull' and at London 2012 Peter Wilson gave Great Britain a first Olympic gold since 2000 in the double trap.
• Full bore shooting is only contested at the Commonwealths - competitors can pick which type of gun they use - rifle, pistol or shotgun. A discipline requiring both accuracy and patience.
• Pistol and small bore shooting use the circular targets
• Teams as diverse as Namibia, Bangladesh and the Isle of Man scored bronze medals in the last Commonwealths - this one isn't just for the traditional powers.

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India's five-time Commonwealth champion Vijay Kumar
(biharprabha.com)



Glasgow 2014 - Commonwealth Games Sports Guide: Cycling

By Steven Oldham

Click HERE for Commonwealth Games homepage

This is the first of a daily series of guides for each sport in this year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, giving you all the need-to-know information for each sport.

Each guide will include when and where the sport is taking place, likely medal contenders and a quick run through to make you a little more knowledgeable before the Games start.
Despite only being an optional sport at the Commonwealths, cycling has been ever present at the Games since 1934.

Events in track, road and mountain biking are all scheduled to take place this summer in Glasgow and there are also para-sport events for both men and women.

WHEN?

Cycling takes place over seven days. Mountain biking is settled on one day, July 29. The road events happen on July 31 and August 3. Four busy days of track action take place between July 24 and 27.

WHERE?

Track cycling will take place at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow's east end,  while road events - free for the public to attend - will take place around the city centre. See the Glasgow 2014 website for maps. Cathkin Braes Mountain Bike Trails will host the off-road events, around 15 minutes drive away from the city centre.

WHO?  

Australia were dominant four years ago, with a haul of 14 golds from a possible 18. Anna Meares was the star of the squad picking up three golds in both individual and team events and will be looking for more success here. Fellow Delhi champions Jack Bobridge, Shane Perkins Scott Sunderland and Michael Hepburn will also look to take up where they left off in India four years ago. 
It's unlikely the Aussies will win as many this time. The all-conquering British squad from London 2012, including Sir Bradley Wiggins, Laura Trott, Jason Kenny, Ed Clancy, Dani King, Philip Hindes and Geraint Thomas will all be in action and will undoubtedly look to benefit from competing in Britain again with a partisan crowd cheering them on in their home nations' colours.
The Isle of Man's Mark Cavendish will be one of the most popular competitors in Glasgow if he competes, having dislocated his shoulder after crashing in the opening stage of the Tour de France on July 5.

LET ME SOUND LIKE I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT...

• Don't ask where Sir Chris Hoy is - he retired after the last Olympics despite hopes he'd carry on to take part in a home Commonwealths
• Track events come in two categories - sprints and endurance events up to 4000m.
• The event where riders start behind a motorbike pacer before being let loose is the keirin. The multi-discipline event, the omnium, will not be contested in Glasgow.
• Mountain biking is included in the Commonwealth Games for only the third time since debuting in 2002.
• Josiah Ng, set to ride again this year, won Malaysia's first ever cycling gold at the Commonwealths in the keirin in Delhi four years ago.

CAN I STILL BUY TICKETS?

Yes. Click here. Remember, you don't need tickets to view the road events. Just turn up on the day.

Will Mark Cavendish return from injury to compete in Glasgow?

 

I'm the world champion, but I want Paralympic gold too says British powerlifter Ali Jawad

By Steven Oldham

British powerlifter Ali Jawad still has unfinished business with the Paralympics despite becoming world champion earlier this month.

The Londoner became the -59kg champion by lifting 190kg at the Powerlifting World Championships in Dubai, setting a new world record in the process.

Jawad admits after winning his first world title his thoughts are now firmly fixed on the Rio 2016 Paralympics - and putting some past demons to bed once and for all.

He came fourth at London 2012, missing out on the medals after having a lift that would have seen him won silver thrown out, reinstated and then thrown out again by the jury, who ordered him to relift 189kg minutes after he had done so the first time.  He couldn't, and missed out on the medals due only to being heavier than the eventual bronze medallist from China.

He said: "It hasn't really sunk in that I'm the world champion yet.  It doesn't seem like I am.  Nothing has really changed for me.

A lot of people have asked me if being world champion has made up for what happened at London 2012.  My first thought was that I need to win in Rio.  My focus is definitely now on 2016."

Competing in Dubai (thanks to Ali for photograph)

Jawad - Lebanese born but London bred - went into his latest competition in Dubai as world record holder in his weight class but momentarily lost it to Iranian lifter Hamzeh Mohamaddi, who lifted 186kg in the first round, 0.5kg than Jawad's record.

The 25-year-old responded with an unmatched lift of 190kg in the next round and reclaimed his world record, an impressive feat given he weighs less than a third of what he lifted.

"Our plan was to go in at the world record, but he went in higher in the first round.  We weren't expecting that!", he said.

Next in Ali's sights is the final qualifiers for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in the summer.  He is set to compete in the qualifiers in Coventry on 11 May at the Ricoh Arena, having already gained 160 points towards a place in Team England.

Only three powerlifters are able to go forward to the Games for England and Jawad reckons it will take a big effort from other lifters to make the 160 points target.

"I've already reached 160 and so has another lifter.  It will be a big ask for anyone else to reach it.

In the grand scheme of things, the Commonwealths are not that important - they are in the same four year cycle as the Worlds which have to take precedence.  It's still a competition I'm training hard for and it will be very difficult to win.  I reckon my main competition will be from Nigeria."

Nigerian lifter Anthony Ulomman took bronze in Dubai to underline his podium credentials for Glasgow, albeit having lifted 7kg less than Jawad, who is relishing performing in front of a British crowd once more.

"I still see Glasgow as a home Games.  Hopefully I can do well and if I medal it might start to make up for what happened in London," he said.

You can follow Ali's progress via his Twitter page, @AliJawad12

More Olympic and Paralympic sport:

Badminton's Olympic legacy boosted by creation of NBL

Wheelchair fencing, football and goalball all lose funding despite big increase for other Paralympic sports

"Legacy? What legacy?" ask British basketballers, weightlifters and water polo players as UK Sport funding withdrawn