Coles prepares for Tokyo Olympics with gold medal win

Tokyo Olympic Games women’s Skeet representative, Laura Coles, was rewarded for her east coast training visit when capturing the gold medal at the NSW ISSF Shotgun State titles at the Newcastle Lake Macquarie Clay Target Club today.

The Perth based Coles has spent recent weeks training in Victoria and NSW as part of her preparation for the Tokyo Olympic Games in July.

In Newcastle, Coles overcame the difficult conditions to hit 50 from 60 targets in the final to defeat South Australia’s Bridget McKinnon (40/60) and NSW’s Suzy Balogh (32/60).

It was a confidence boosting performance from Coles who has been unable to travel to the eastern seaboard to compete until recently because of COVID-19 border restrictions.

In the women’s Trap final, Victorian teenager Kiara Dean caused a boilover when snaring the gold medal ahead of Tokyo Olympic Games team members Laetisha Scanlan and Penny Smith.

Dean, the 19-year-old National Pathways Squad member, held her nerve in the final stages to down 40/50 targets when beating 2016 Rio Olympian, Scanlan (39/50), and Smith (30/50).

Dean, from Echuca, held a healthy four target lead at the half-way mark of the final and had to withstand Scanlan’s late pressure to claim victory.

Dean’s victory strengthens her bid for Australian team selection for the ISSF Junior World Championships scheduled for Peru in September and October.

Another Victorian, Mitch Iles backed up his recent victory at the Yarra Valley Grand Prix when winning the men’s Trap.

The 2016 Rio Olympian shot a brilliant 45/50 targets to comfortably defeat Tokyo Olympic team member, Thomas Grice (37/50) and Gabriel Sensi (31/50).

In men’s Skeet, NSW’s Joshua Bell (53/60) shot a perfect final round of 10 targets to defeat Elie Lahoud (50/60) and Newcastle Lake Macquarie Clay Target Club member, Frank Morris (40/60).

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