The following is being distributed at the request of Sport Newfoundland and Labrador:

Newfoundland and Labrador Shooters Compete in Germany

Over the past weekend Brenda Greene and Dave Woolridge shot three rifle events each at the 2nd annual International Shooting Competition of Hannover in Germany. At this competition 480 aspiring and respective national team shooters from 21 countries came together to compete in 13 Olympic shooting events. Both Brenda and Dave are members of the High Performance Marksmanship Training Group, which trains at Memorial University�s School of Human Kinetics and Recreation.

Brenda, of St. Joseph�s - St Mary�s Bay, shot the junior women�s 50 metre 3 X 20, 50 metre prone and 10 metre air rifle events. The 50 metre events are shot with .22 calibre rifles and the 10 metre event is shot using a .177 calibre air rifle.

On Friday, Brenda shot 377/400 in her air rifle match, placing her 41st out of 48 competitors. In the face of very stiff competition and equipment malfunction she was still able to better her own provincial record of 376. On Saturday she shot 579/600 in junior women�s prone securing a 30th place finish out of 42 shooters. Brenda finished on Sunday shooting the 3 X 20 event, placing 39th amongst 41 competitors with 544 out of 600. Brenda was successful in achieving personal bests in all three events.

Dave, of St. John�s, shot the men�s 50 metre 3 X 40, 50 metre prone and 10 metre air rifle events. On Friday, Dave started out with a 1065 in the 3 X 40 event, finishing 54th out of 55 shooters. Things went better Saturday morning, as Dave shot a personal best in 50 metre prone at 577/600, placing him 91st out of 99 shooters. Closing off the weekend, Dave shot 571/600 in the air rifle event placing him 58th in a field of 66.

Both shooters agreed that by Saturday they had settled down a lot from the previous day and were better able to stay focused. Dave reflected about how the most trivial differences, such as the angle of his head in prone changing by just a few degrees resulted in dramatic changes in score. Sunday brought further improvements as Dave returned to his usual form in air rifle and Brenda had a good start in the 3-P event.

�The level of competition, combined with the number of competitors and spectators alike, is much greater here than in my past experiences.� noted Brenda, after her opening day of competition.

�These matches are a great thing for us. If you look not at the score but instead at the experience, it makes us sharper when we get back to the much smaller, but certainly more important, Canadian nationals. Less than a handful of Canadian shooting athletes gain this experience every year and it is such experience that may make all the difference in winning a spot of the national shooting team,� says Dave.

This match was very much a learning experience for both athletes but more so for Brenda. Though experienced as an international competitor from the Canadian Air Gun Grand Prix, DCRA Canadian Fullbore Rifle Championships and NRA Imperial Meeting at Bisley, England, this was her first time competing with the shooters bound for the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. Brenda commented on how the atmosphere was slightly more relaxed in her previous competitions and that they often consisted of many relays spread over several days. Here, however, you can see that those at the top were on a razor�s edge and that there would only be one chance to prove one�s self. Dave has competed at several world cups and one world championships but despite this he is always looking to learn new tactics from his competitors as he advances his athletic skills.

�Competing in Europe among some of the world�s best shooters is an invaluable milestone for both Brenda and Dave on the road to the Canadian National Team Trials later this year,� says Gary Piercey, a rifle coach with the High Performance Marksmanship Training Group. �They will gain a significant tactical advantage from this experience, which is why these events were added to their training schedules early this year.�

Advancing to competitions at this level would not be possible without the support of local businesses such as Power Vac, Penney Mazda and Complete Gunsmithing. These companies know the cost and value of helping athletes reach for the top and are behind these athletes in their efforts to be named to the Canadian National shooting team.

As of Wednesday, Greene and Woolridge will be in Plzen in the Czech Republic competing in the same three events at the 39th Grand Prix of Liberation. Both athletes are optimistic of even better performances there.

- 30 -

Media contact:
Gary Piercey
754-6177
garypiercey@gmail.com