Shooting: Yelavich sights up seventh Games trip

Pistol-shooter Greg Yelavich will have the opportunity to add to his silver medal. Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

Shooter Greg Yelavich is relishing the chance to compete at his seventh Commonwealth Games, with an opportunity to add to his bag of 10 medals.

Pistol exponent Yelavich, 53, is in a 12-strong New Zealand shooting team announced yesterday for October's games in New Delhi.

The team also includes Olympian and Commonwealth gold medallist Nadine Stanton (clay target) and the up-and-coming Miles Browne-Cole (clay target), who won the Australian title in January.

Yelavich, who has competed at the Olympics as well as Commonwealth Games since 1986, said the competitive landscape was changing.

"The Games are getting harder and harder and the competition that we face is getting smarter," Yelavich said.

"Other countries have more money but we have to be typically 'New Zealand' and step up. Kiwis are known for that."

Shooting team coach Gavin Paton said he was pleased with the make-up of a team, which included youth and experience, and some strong pairings.

"Overall it's a strong team, especially in the pairs where an experienced athlete will be matched with one of the younger ones," he said. Natalie Rooney, 22, will be matched with Stanton, 34, in the women's clay target and Browne-Cole, 22, will be paired with Allan Sinclair, 39.

Rooney, who has three brothers and a father who are all strong shooters, is looking forward to the New Delhi experience.

"I'm a bit stoked, really," the Canterbury University student said.

"I would like to make the medal selection in both individual and pairs. While I'm not a nervous person, I've been focused on combating nerves ahead of the Commonwealth Games and the experienced athletes in my team will help me prepare."

The New Zealand shooters compete at the world championships at Munich next month before returning to New Zealand and Australia to prepare for the Games, to be held from October 3-14.

The shooting team is the third team to be named to the Commonwealth Games squad, which is expected to number 195 athletes and 100 support staff. New Zealand has been taking part in Commonwealth Games shooting since 1978 and the sport has raked in 49 medals to rank fourth on the New Zealand medal table.

NZ GAMES TEAM

Clay target
* Women: Natalie Rooney (Timaru), Nadine Stanton (Te Kauwhata).
* Men: Myles Browne-Cole (Pukekohe), Allan Sinclair (Otahuhu, Auckland).

Small bore (prone)
* Women: Sally Johnson (Hutt Valley), Juliet Etherington (Auckland).
* Men: Adrian Black (Christchurch), Ryan Taylor (Horowhenua).

Pistol
* Greg Yelavich (Auckland), Allan Earle (Auckland).

Full bore
* Mike Collings (Te Puke), John Snowden (Ashburton).

- NZPA