23 Jul 2012

SHOOTING

1:16 pm on 23 July 2012

New Zealand has just one Olympic shooting medal - when Ian Ballinger won bronze in the smallbore rifle event at the 1968 Mexico Games - but has consistently done well at the Commonwealth level, securing at least one medal at each Games since 1974.

50m prone rifle shooter Ryan Taylor is the sole representative in London, after gaining New Zealand's only quota spot.

The place had initially been allocated to trap shooter Natalie Rooney, but that decision was reversed after Taylor posted the most internationally competitive scores in his discipline during 2011.

The London Games will be the 32-year-old's second Olympics, after he competed in the 50m prone rifle event at the 2004 Athens Games, where he finished 36th.

Taylor placed 14th at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and competed alongside his father, rifle shooter Grant Taylor, at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

Some information sourced from www.olympic.org.nz

Where and when

Men's and women's rifle, pistol events will be held in the Royal Artillery Barracks, a temporary venue, in London. Outdoor events trap and skeet shotgun will be held nearby. The competition runs from 28 July to 6 August.