Shooters to Compete at ISSF World Champs
September 05, 2014 10:34 AM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Four members of the West Virginia University rifle team and coach Jon Hammond will shoot at the 51st International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship, Sept. 7-19, at the CEAR de Tiro Olimpico Juan Carlos Shooting Range, in Granada, Spain.
The championship, held every four years and in between Olympic Games, is the first competition in which shooters have the opportunity to earn Olympic quota places, a starting position to send athletes to the next Olympics.
Junior Garrett Spurgeon will represent the United States Junior National Team in his first ISSF World Championship. The Canton, Missouri, native placed second in smallbore and fifth in air rifle at the 2014 NCAA Championships. A five time All-American, Spurgeon recently placed first in the junior men’s 10m air rifle and 50m 3 positions, and second in the junior men’s 50m rifle prone at the 2014 USA Shooting National Championships.
“I trained more this summer than I have in the past because this match is earlier than the NCAA season,” Spurgeon said. “I think it will be a good match as far as steep competition goes, and it will be a great introduction to the season at WVU.”
Senior Meelis Kiisk will shoot as a member of the Estonian National Team at his first championship. The five time All-American is coming off a busy summer at home after the birth of his daughter, Annemarie, in May.
“It’s been a little different for me this summer just getting used to everything,” Kiisk said. “I’ve been shooting throughout the whole summer. Over the last few weeks I’ve shot every day, including weekends, to get ready for the competition.”
Senior Ziva Dvorsak will shoot for her home country of Slovenia. The All-American placed third in air rifle and seventh in smallbore at the 2014 NCAA Championships, and competed at the 2014 ISSF Fort Benning, Munich and Maribor World Cups this summer.
She placed fifth in the women’s 10m air rifle and seventh in the women’s 50m 3 positions at the Maribor World Cup.
“I trained the whole summer,” Dvorsak said. “I want to do my best, be in the present and take it one shot at a time.”
Junior transfer Michael Bamsey, will shoot for Great Britain at the championship. The Cardiff, Wales, native joins the WVU rifle team after attending the University of South Wales from 2011-2014. Bamsey most recently placed seventh in the men’s 10m air rifle at the 2014 Glasglow Commonwealth Games.
“We had the Commonwealth Games in Britain in August, which required a lot of training up until then,” Bamsey said. “We did stamina drills and stood in positions so that we could simulate big matches like this. If I do my best, it will put me in a good place at the championships.”
Bamsey has competed as a member of the Wales and Great Britain National Teams and has represented both at international events, resulting in many medals in air rifle and smallbore. He has represented Great Britain on the world stage, competing at several World Cups and at the European Shooting Championships.
“Michael brings a lot of experience from Great Britain,” Hammond explained. “He’s another personality that adds competition to the team. He’s a strong shooter in both air rifle and smallbore. He’s already been shooting well in training and challenging the others. He will add a new dynamic to the team, and we’re looking forward to having him here.”
“WVU is completely different than studying in the United Kingdom,” Bamsey continued. “It’s really nice to be at an institution that supports sports so well.”
Coach Hammond will compete in his third World Championship for Great Britain one month after a fifth-place showing in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions at the 2014 Glasglow Commonwealth Games.
“I’ve been traveling a lot the last three months, and I’ve had a lot of preparation with competitions,” coach Hammond said. “Some of the shooters will have had quite a few competitions during the summer as well. I think they should all be prepared really well.”
The championship will begin with the opening ceremony on Sunday. WVU shooters and coach Hammond will compete in the men’s and women’s 10m air rifle, the men’s and women’s 50m 3 positions and the men’s 50m rifle prone.
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