The English shooter Hales hopes to take Paris high

New Delhi: Less than three months after scoring gold at the Paris Olympics with a record score (48/50), England’s kick shooter Nathan Hales will line up at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in the capital, aiming to assert his supremacy in a competition he calls a ‘mini-Olympics’.

The challenges will range from world-class competitors to tough conditions, but after beating the best in recent years – winning silver at the 2022 World Championships and breaking the world record while winning gold at the 2023 Lonato World Cup – the 28- year-old will aim to end the year on a high. The competition starts on Sunday.

“This will be my first visit to Delhi and I am super excited. This year has been fantastic and I want to end it on a high note,” said Hales, who comes from a family of shooters and started shooting clays at the age of five. After a short break following the Olympics, where he tended to his sponsorship and media commitments, Hales returns to competition.

Peaking twice in the space of three months can be exhausting, but preparing for the Olympics took such a toll on him that Hales, a self-described perfectionist, has barely managed to get into range after the Games.

“Peaking will be a challenge, especially between two high-profile events together. It’s not an ideal situation, but it is what it is,” he said. The year-end event also marks the start of a new Olympic cycle, meaning Hales is keen to start his long run to Los Angeles 2028 on a positive note. It will also be a chance for him to try out a new weapon – he will trade in his Beretta DT11 for a more advanced Beretta SL2.

“I’ve only had four sessions at the range since Paris, which isn’t great, but I needed some time off to shoot. I like to prepare well for my events, I like my practice to be perfect. I’m not in perfect shape game-wise for the World Cup final. I think in a mentally exhausting sport like ours it’s important to find a balance.”

A perfect balance is what he achieved at the Chateauroux shooting range in France, where he defeated China’s Qi Ying by four points in sweltering heat. Hales and Ying passed the Olympic record (43), but the Englishman gained a handy lead after Ying missed his 34th and 35th attempts. The Chinese are known for their fearless temperament and rarely fail on big stages, but Hales’ confidence in his “straightforward processes” got him through.

“The Chinese are truly world class, and they have a huge pool of shooters who just keep winning,” he noted. “What might have worked for me was that I had beaten Qi in Lonato last year. Moreover, I was very focused. I had done everything I could in terms of preparation, so much so that I didn’t shoot for the ten days leading up to Paris. It’s the kind of space an athlete rarely encounters in their career. You can still win events, but very rarely do you enter that zone.

Hales helped his wife Charlotte Kerwood, a former Olympic shooter, in his quest for Olympic success. Kerwood, a four-time gold medalist in the double trap at the Commonwealth Games, was at Hales’ side as he pursued perfection. “Her input was of great help. She has extensive experience as a top athlete, so she can tell me what to expect in a position I have never been in before.”