No room for error says Cambridgeshire shooter ahead of Paris Paralympics
Matt Skelhon will look to add to his medal collection in the French capital
Last updated 21st Aug 2024
A Cambridgeshire shooter has said there's no room for error if he is to win once again at the Paralympics.
Matt Skelhon, who won gold at his debut Paralympics in Beijing in 2008 plus silver and bronze in London four years later, will look to add to his medal collection when the Paris Games get under way in seven days' time.
Skelhon will be competing in the R3 10m air rifle prone and R6 50m air rifle prone competitions in France at what will be his fifth Games.
"The margins are really small"
And the 39-year-old, who began shooting as a hobby at 11-years-old, knows there is little room for error.
"When I started a few years back, I think Great Britain were out in front but everyone's caught up," he said.
"There are 10 or 11 people capable of winning medals at every competition and it's tough; the mental game is a big side of it.
"I enjoy the precision and accuracy you need for the targets you're shooting at, which are tiny, so the margins are really small and I thrive on trying to improve on those little bits."
Club rallies for Skelhon
Skelhon, president at Whittlesey Rifle Club, is paralysed from the waist down after a car accident in 2005 led to a broken back and spinal cord injury, which has left him in a wheelchair.
The club have also been rallying behind the 2023 world champion after a difficult last couple of Games in Rio and Tokyo.
“Everyone in the club is willing Matt on and we know he will do his utmost against elite opposition," Andy Surtees, chairman at Whittlesey Rifle Club, said.
"Our club members will certainly be cheering him on; seeing strong local support will really give him a boost.”
Skelhon is due to compete on the 1st and 5th September, and is excited to get going.
"Tokyo was weird because of Covid, so I'm excited to be competing in a normal sort of way rather than behind closed doors," he added.
"It's so close to home this time that it means my family can get there and watch."