Gorgs accepted in World Class Programme

[Alexander]

Georgina "Gorgs" Geikie, Britain's best lady pistol shooter and very promising Olympic candidate - a stunningly determined athlete and role model, as I might add - has just been accepted onto the World Class Programme of "British Shooting" (as one of six athletes). My most sincere and heartfelt congratulations!

http://www.britishshooting.org.uk/content/view/269/31/

Alexander

[JamesH]

Thats good, but wow - the UK can only fund that many shooters?

[Wiley-X]

I didn't think that pistols were allowed in the UK.

[bruce]

Thats good, but wow - the UK can only fund that many shooters?

GB Shooting, the body responsible for elite international shooting, has had its budget slashed by 70%(approx) since the last Olympic games. Corresponding cuts were made to the numbers of supported athletes.

[David Levene]

Thats good, but wow - the UK can only fund that many shooters?

I'm afraid so James. Things have changed a bit since you were here.

[Alexander]

So far, Gorgs seem to have survived on shoestrings and gracious private sponsorship. The media attention that she - most deservedly ! - got, certainly has helped her course a lot.

One thing has also puzzled me. Why would English pistol shooters train in Switzerland, and not e.g. on the Isle of Man, in Nothern Ireland or on the Channel Islands?

Alexander

[bruce]

So far, Gorgs seem to have survived on shoestrings and gracious private sponsorship. The media attention that she - most deservedly ! - got, certainly has helped her course a lot.

One thing has also puzzled me. Why would English pistol shooters train in Switzerland, and not e.g. on the Isle of Man, in Nothern Ireland or on the Channel Islands?

Alexander

I've asked the same question :)

[David Levene]

One thing has also puzzled me. Why would English pistol shooters train in Switzerland, and not e.g. on the Isle of Man, in Nothern Ireland or on the Channel Islands?

When the decision had to be made back in 1997 we looked at all of the options very carefully.

Not only did Switzerland offer great shooting facilities but it proved to be by far the cheapest option. It was also the easiest option with regard to moving guns around the world for competitions.

The welcome we received from the Swiss people in general and especially our good friends at Albisguetli and Fahrwangen ranges was a bonus. We have a lot to thank them for.

[j-team]

One thing has also puzzled me. Why would English pistol shooters train in Switzerland, and not e.g. on the Isle of Man, in Nothern Ireland or on the Channel Islands?

Alexander

Switzerland also has a history of excellence in shooting, no offence to IOM, Channel Islands and Northern Ireland, but they haven't!

[Hemmers]

I didn't think that pistols were allowed in the UK.

Air pistols are allowed. They can train directly for 10m AP, and use multi-shot APs like the Steyr LP50 to train for rapid fire matches.
Also, "pistol" isn't defined in British law, the law simply prohibited firearms with a barrel <30cm, and an overall gun length of <60cm. With some creative gunsmithing, ISSF Free Pistols were made UK legal by the use of permanently attached "balancing rods".
The barrels were already long enough, they just had to bulk out the stock, so they can now train for 50M Free Pistol at home as well (well, after the ISSF confirmed they would be accepted for the Olympics, and the relevant bodies fought a court case against the Home Office who insisted it was illegal, despite not falling into the same category as any prohibited firearms).

UK firearms law works on a black list principle rather than a white list. Certain types of firearm are banned, and everything else is legal, which leaves the Longarms in an interesting position. They're not rifles, but they're not pistols (all the provision for approved "pistol clubs", etc was stripped out in 1997 as they failed to see that new pistol designs would work around the law). Clubs can't own them (because the law only allows for approved rifle clubs, and long arms aren't rifles!), but individuals can.
Hehehe, oodles of fun. Noone really understands the law including the Police!

It's really just the Sport and Rapid pistols they're stuck on, having to use air pistols to shoot substitute courses between trips to Switzerland.
And of course everyone who wants revolvers and CF pistols to shoot IPSC stuff and other non-ISSF disciplines.

One thing has also puzzled me. Why would English pistol shooters train in Switzerland, and not e.g. on the Isle of Man, in Nothern Ireland or on the Channel Islands?

Alexander

Switzerland also has a history of excellence in shooting, no offence to IOM, Channel Islands and Northern Ireland, but they haven't!

Depends on the type of shooting. The Isle of Man has one of the two ISSF Class 1 50metre ranges in the UK (the other being Denwood in Aberdeen). They produce some very good .22 shooters including Commonwealth medallists.

Sadly their pistol facilities are more basic, being stuck up in the mountains (and cloud!) on Windy Corner. Not the best training venue for Olympic disciplines (although we've always received a warm welcome there for casual pistol when we've gone to do rifle in the Easter shoot).

The Channel Islands, although producing some fine .22 and air gun shots in both rifle and pistol, tend to lean towards fullbore rifle. Their shooters do well in the Palma matches and contribute significant numbers of shooters to GB teams.

As mentioned, Switzerland also had logistical benefits as well as being just as easy to get to (what? an extra half hour on the plane compared to going in a little island-hopper to the IoM or CI!) - amongst others I imagine it's a bonus not having to transit through the UK to get to a major airport from which you could fly off to your match! don't know where the British team base their training - presumably near Geneva or another decent sized intl airport?

[Alexander]

Gorgs is in Munich now, at the IWK. Her results - as soon as she is through - can be found via this link. Today she started at 14:55.

http://www.bssb.de/modules.php?op=modlo ... ndex2&c=22

Alexander

[David Levene]

Munich is living up to its reputation for high scores.

AP40, one 384 didn't get into the final.

[Alexander]

GG performed very well with 378, beating such eminent shooters as Nino Salukvadze and Lalita Yauhleuskaya.

[RobStubbs]

don't know where the British team base their training - presumably near Geneva or another decent sized intl airport?

It's Zurich so there's two major airports that can be used.

Rob.

[Alexander]

Depends on the type of shooting. The Isle of Man has one of the two ISSF Class 1 50metre ranges in the UK (the other being Denwood in Aberdeen). They produce some very good .22 shooters including Commonwealth medallists.

Sadly their pistol facilities are more basic, being stuck up in the mountains (and cloud!) on Windy Corner. Not the best training venue for Olympic disciplines (although we've always received a warm welcome there for casual pistol when we've gone to do rifle in the Easter shoot).

Is it this one (Slieau Lhost, of http://www.peverilrifleclub.com )? I had added it on Wikimapia some time ago...
http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=54.226130 ... 17&l=5&m=b

As mentioned, Switzerland also had logistical benefits as well as being just as easy to get to (what? an extra half hour on the plane compared to going in a little island-hopper to the IoM or CI!)

Interesting. I had misimagined that it would more of a logistic hassle to go to Switzerland, but of course what you say sounds convincing - there is a reason for it being called the British IsleS, I guess. :-)

Alexander

[SteveR]

For anyone wanting to keep upto date with Gorgs shooting, she has her own website, which is updated regularly : http://www.gorgs4gold.com

[Alexander]

It is a very informative blog, lovely made, and a very nice example of a top athlete's successful self-promotion.

Given the utter mess and self-destructive incompetence that British shooting sports organisation has always appeared to be since the 1990s (compare them to Germany, France, Italy, and cry a river), her positive example shines all the more.

Alexander

[Hemmers]

Depends on the type of shooting. The Isle of Man has one of the two ISSF Class 1 50metre ranges in the UK (the other being Denwood in Aberdeen). They produce some very good .22 shooters including Commonwealth medallists.

Sadly their pistol facilities are more basic, being stuck up in the mountains (and cloud!) on Windy Corner. Not the best training venue for Olympic disciplines (although we've always received a warm welcome there for casual pistol when we've gone to do rifle in the Easter shoot).

Is it this one (Slieau Lhost, of http://www.peverilrifleclub.com )? I had added it on Wikimapia some time ago...
http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=54.226130 ... 17&l=5&m=b

Yeah, although going at Easter means I've never been there when it's been so sunny!
Visibility is usually down to 25yds because of fog (well, cloud really. Up in the mountains!). Indeed one year there was snow on the ground when we got up there.
Nice little complex, but perhaps not quite as well kitted out as the Sinclair rifle range which is nestled in an achingly beautiful valley, which is usually in full bloom with the daffodils out by Easter (which is when I've always been there).

[RobStubbs]

Yeah, although going at Easter means I've never been there when it's been so sunny!
Visibility is usually down to 25yds because of fog (well, cloud really. Up in the mountains!). Indeed one year there was snow on the ground when we got up there.
Nice little complex, but perhaps not quite as well kitted out as the Sinclair rifle range which is nestled in an achingly beautiful valley, which is usually in full bloom with the daffodils out by Easter (which is when I've always been there).

Yep and it's an early easter this year so pack your thermals. Me I'm planning on going there in 2011 when easter is later :). Might even do both rifle and pistol if I can fit it into the (long) weekend. (NB/ My excuse is that I'm already at the Scottish Pistol championships over the same w/e this year).

Rob.

[Alexander]

1. I have now put Sinclair range on Wikimapia:
http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=54.193880 ... 15&l=0&m=b

2. We should plant some daffodils and tulips at our range. :-)

(And whoever wants a bouquet of flowers, must shoot them off their stems)