Commonwealth Games 2018 – Gold Coast, Brisbane

Fantastic news for the New Year - the team to represent the Isle of Man at the 2018 Commonwealth Games has been announced and I’m in!! I was told by the shooting team manager before Christmas that the team had been selected but there was a media embargo on announcing selection, apart from close friends and family. After a long 2 year qualification period it is great to know that all the hard work has paid off and I’m able to represent the Isle of Man again at the highest level I can. This will be my 4th Games. Even better news for me is that I will be competing in the Double Trap event, for which I still hold the World Record.

Scores from local, national and international events have all been taken into account for the past 24 months for all the eligible sports on the Island and then compared between individuals. The team is then picked using this information. Not a job I would want as only 32 places were available for the Isle of Man, so there could be a few disappointed sportsmen and women who had worked hard to achieve the standards set but will not be travelling.

Earlier in 2017 I was asked to try on some of the team kit when I was back on the Island as I had a number of qualifying scores and must have looked in a strong position. It was a good feeling to be trying on those colours of red, yellow and blue which have become a regular feature of the Games kit. Although I’m not sure if the Manx tartan trilby will be making an appearance as it did at the last Games!

My event is Wednesday 11 April, which sounds quite far away right now but after a healthy festive period, I know how much hard work lays ahead in preparing to be at my best. Even though double trap is no longer an Olympic event there will still be strong competition from the home nations of England and Scotland, India, Malta and the Aussie hosts, so definitely not a walk in the park. It is going to be a busy 100 days’ preparation and training running up to competition!

Brisbane last hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1982, when the Island sent 26 competitors. The opening ceremony incorporated a giant kangaroo which circled the stadium winking at the crowd as it passed, I’m looking forward to seeing if it makes a return this year ;-)

The Commonwealth Games is the world’s second largest multi-sport event to the Olympics, where 70 countries participate from a population pool of 2.1 billion people. The best 5,000 or so will be at Brisbane. A great opportunity for me and the Island to make our mark with the support of the Manx population and RL360 Quantum!