Triple Commonwealth Games medallist, Roger Daniel shot his way to two gold medals and the top shooter prize for the second time at the 2011 Canadian Airgun Grand Prix. The event was held at the Doubletree International Hotel in Toronto, Canada from January 21-23. Daniel won the Men’s Open Air Pistol finals with a total of 1251.2 points. In the preliminary rounds, his scores were 574, 577 and 100.2.
The T&T Olympic Committee’s 2010 “Sportsman of the Year” beat the Canadian pair of Allan Harding (1235.2) and Mark Haynes (1234.5).
Last year’s Central American and Caribbean Games champion then took the Masters 60-Shot Air pistol event shooting his way to the top with 1,151 points. The two-time Olympian (2004 and 2008) relegated Harding (1,138) and Haynes (1,135) to the minor positions again. In 2005, Daniel also won double gold and captured the top shooter award. T&T’s Marsha Bullen-Jones copped a bronze in the Women’s Masters 40-Shot Air Pistol event with a score of 669 points to capture her first international medal. She was beaten for the top spot by Canadian duo of Filiz Cakmak (733) and Yanka Vasileva (725). Daniel’s fellow Commonwealth medallist, Rhodney Allen was seventh in the Masters’ Open 60 air pistol behind his compatriot with 1,109 points.
Daniel, a Defence Force Corporal, capped out an outstanding month taking two gold and the overall shooter honour at the Hell Open in Trondheim, Norway, on January 15. Speaking on his return home, Daniel said he was elated as he had to adjust to lighting. “ I feel great. In the beginning I had great difficulty with the lighting which worried me a bit. But in the end I got the highest score.” He explained that he experienced different conditions in Norway. “The transition was a challenge for me as Canada was much colder than Norway.” Daniel now has his eyes set on the 2011 ISSF World Cup in Sydney, Australia, from March 21-April 1 in and Changwon South Korea (April 7-15).
Results
Air Pistol-Men’s Open finals
Pos Name Country Rd 1 Rd 2 Final Total
1 Roger Daniel T&T 574 577 100.2 1251.2
2 Allan Harding Canada 571 567 97.2 1235.2
3 Mark Haynes Canada 570 563 99.5 1234.5
4 Kenneth Snyder USA 563 554 94.7 1210.7
60 Shot Air Pistol-Men’s Masters Finals
Pos Name Country R1 R2 Total
1 Roger Daniel T&T 574 577 1151
2 Allan Harding Canada 571 567 1138
3 Mark Haynes Canada 570 565 1135
7 Rhondey Allen T&T 561 548 1109
40 Shot Air Pistol-Women’s Masters Finals
Pos Name Country R1 R2 Total
1 Filiz Cakmak Canada 369 364 733
2 YankaVasileva Canada 360 365 725
3 M Bullen-Jones T&T 360 339 669
Overall Shooter: Roger Daniel T&T