PARALYMPICS: Dawlish shooter James Bevis aiming for Gold at Rio Paralympics

By HEDanielClark  |  Posted: September 07, 2016


BRONZE: Paralympic medallist James Bevis who is hoping to win gold


DAWLISH sharp-shooter James Bevis has arrived in Rio with the target of a gold medal at the Paralympic Games.

It will be the third Paralympics for the shooter, who is aiming for a gold medal after winning a bronze medal at London 2012.

Last year, Bevis clinched gold at the IPC Shooting World Cup in Osijek, Croatia, in the R5 10m air rifle prone mixed SH2, and he is aiming to repeat the triumph in Rio.

The 40-year-old, who moved to Dawlish in 2014 after previously living in Teignmouth and Hereford, is among 10 GB shooters at the Games and currently ranked fifth in his main event – the prone.

He finished third and eighth in the two World Cup events this year in the prone, and has also finished ninth and 12th in two standing events, and feels confident of claiming another medal.

Bevis was backed by around 20 family members and friends during an emotional rollercoaster at the Paralympics four years ago as he won bronze.

It could have been even better for Bevis who narrowly lost a sudden-death shootout for the silver medal with France's Raphael Voltz in the mixed R5 10m air rifle prone SH2.

It was a dramatic three hours of competition over two stages and showed a huge improvement for Bevis, who picked up a pair of 19th-placed finishes in the prone and standing at Beijing 2008.

He took up shooting only 18 months before the Beijing Games and has grown into one of the world's best

Bevis, whose classification for the sport is SH2 (upper limb injury), is now aiming for gold in Rio.

In addition to his main prone event, Bevis will compete in the mixed 10m air rifle standing SH2 at his third Paralympics.

The standing discipline takes place on September 10 with the prone on September 13.

Posted by Thom Erik Syrdahl

Source - http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co.uk/