Heading for Tokyo Olympics with Team GB will be shooter Seonaid McIntosh, coached by dad Donald whose career began with Elgin Miniature Rifle Club
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THE first four Team GB shooters have been selected for this year's Olympics - and one has a strong Moray connection.
Current 50m prone rifle world champion Seonaid McIntosh is the daughter of former British and Scottish head coach Donald, whose career began at his hometown Elgin Miniature Rifle Club.
Seonaid (24) will make her Olympic debut in Tokyo this summer where she will compete in the women's 3x50 rifle and 10m air rifle events at the Asaka shooting range.
She is already Britain's most successful female shooter after winning three World Cup medals including GB's first-ever gold in 2019, and is ranked world number one at the 50m rifle three positions event.
Joining Seonaid in the British quartet selected for Tokyo are Kirsty Hegarty (women’s Olympic trap), Matt Coward-Holley (men’s Olympic trap) and Aaron Heading (men’s Olympic trap).
Seonaid's older sister Jennifer enjoyed great success in shooting after winning three Commonwealth Games medals at Delhi in 2010 including two golds, making her the most successful female Scots medallist.
She also won two medals at Glasgow 2014 and a world championship bronze in 2018, before retiring at the age of 27.
Both girls have followed their parents into the sport.
Their mother Shirley is a four-time Commonwealth Games medallist, while dad Donald's connection to the sport began with his own late father back in Elgin.
Donald McIntosh senior was secretary of the Moray and Nairn County Association for shooting and a long serving member of the Elgin Miniature Rifle Club.
His skills were passed down to Donald junior, who started prone shooting at the age of 12 at the Elgin club and went on to compete internationally for the University of Edinburgh.
He medalled at Commonwealth Championships for Scotland and was selected for the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, finishing fifth.
Donald turned to coaching and became performance manager at Scottish Shooting, leading his country to four Commonwealth Games as head coach.
At the 2006 and 2010 Games alone, Scotland won ten medals including six gold.
He was head rifle coach for British Shooting between 2009 and 2017, a stint which included the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics.
Donald now coaches his daughter Seonaid, who could be destined for great things when the Olympics get under way in July, a year after being postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Mark England, Team GB Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020, said: “There is no greater experience than going to your first Olympic Games and I’d like to congratulate this talented group of athletes on their selection to Team GB for Tokyo 2020.
“While we continue to navigate the unique challenges facing us as result of the pandemic, starting 2021 with this positive announcement is a strong illustration of how committed we are to the Tokyo Olympic Games and we look forward to following these athletes’ journeys over the coming months.”
British Shooting Performance Director and Team GB Shooting Team Leader, Steven Seligmann, said: "I am delighted that the BOA have confirmed the selection of four athletes who will represent Team GB at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
“We have a strong team going to both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. All of those selected are quota place winners in their own right and they have demonstrated significant performances on a world stage to merit their selection. In selecting now, it gives them the best opportunity to focus on their preparations over the coming months. We will be looking to add the final athletes to the team in June once Tokyo qualification is complete.
“I’m very proud of the athletes and their support teams who have worked very hard to give the athletes the best opportunity possible to continue to train safely and securely during these difficult times. I’m confident the work we have done so far will stand our athletes in good stead for Tokyo and we will be ready to adapt and perform when the time comes this summer.”
Shooting joins canoe, sailing, sport climbing and triathlon as the first sports to announce the athletes selected to Team GB for the rescheduled Olympics, which will take place from July 23 to August 8.
