Shooting star... Nathan Lee Xuereb narrowly missed out on a bronze medal in double trap yesterday, finishing fourth overall. Photo: Paul Zammit CutajarShooting star... Nathan Lee Xuereb narrowly missed out on a bronze medal in double trap yesterday, finishing fourth overall. Photo: Paul Zammit Cutajar

The double trap competition at the Commonwealth Games threw up mixed fortunes and mixed emotions for Malta as Nathan Lee Xuereb finished fourth, narrowly missing out on a bronze medal.

Xuereb, 17, produced a performance that belied his young age as he secured a place in the bronze medal game after attaining 26 points in the semi-finals, one behind English duo Steven Scott and Matthew French and Indian Asab Mohd who smashed 27 clays.

Mohd was Xuereb’s opponent in the decisive game after the Indian lost his shoot-off against the English pair.

In the play-off, Xuereb had to settle for fourth place after compiling 24 points, two fewer than Mohd who claimed the bronze medal.

The all-English final was a tight affair with Scott having the last laugh after edging out French by the slimmest of margins, 30-29.

Fourth place at the Commonwealths is very prestigious result for Xuereb but he later admitted to mixed feelings after coming so close to winning what would have been Malta’s first medal at the 2014 Games in Glasgow.

“I’m satisfied with my performance but disappointed at the same time,” Xuereb told Times of Malta.

“I’m still 17 and to finish fourth in the Commonwealth Games is very encouraging.

“I had won the previous event I took part in (European Junior Championships in Hungary) and I have now placed fourth overall at such a high-level competition.

“I was so close to winning a bronze medal.”

Xuereb, who had qualified for the semi-finals in fifth place on 131 points (24, 28, 26, 26, 27), said his target going into the Commonwealth Games was to finish among the top six shooters.

“My objective was to make it into the top six,” Xuereb remarked. “The story then changes completely in the decisive matches.”

Xuereb claimed that coach Jimmy Bugeja and Alberto Cei, his psychological mentor, were both pleased about his achievement.

“Jimmy Bugeja and Alberto Cei are both happy with my performance,” Xuereb said.

“I worked hand-in-hand with them, especially in the final stages.

“I also hope that the rest of the Maltese contingent are delighted with my result.”

While Xuereb exceeded expectations with his fourth-place finish, William Chetcuti, a two-time bronze medal winner at the Commonwealth Games, failed to shine after finishing seventh.

Three rounds of 24 out of 30 clays in the qualification phase scuppered Chetcuti’s hopes of booking a place in the semi-finals as the experienced shooter trailed in seventh on 125 points, three behind Australian shooter Tom Turner who then failed to make it to the medal matches along with India’s Ankur Mittal.

Xuereb insisted that the standard of competition at yesterday’s event was very high.

“It was a high-level field as the English and Indian shooters are strong and William Chetcuti is one of the leading double trap shooters in the world despite his performance here,” Xuereb said.

After his successful participation in the Commonwealth Games, Xuereb is now turning his attentions to the World Championships (Under-21 category), being held in Granada, Spain, from September 6-20.

As part of his preparations for this competition, Xuereb will take in a Grand Prix shoot in Italy.

Gold for Kerwood

England shotgun ace Charlotte Kerwood blasted her way to glory in the women’s double trap event yesterday.

The 27-year-old from Sussex was in devastating form at the Barry Buddon Centre in Dundee, nailing 94 of her 120 clays to claim her third individual Commonwealth gold medal.

Kerwood won her first gold at Manchester 2002 aged just 15, and would probably have more in her collection had the event not been excluded in Delhi last time out.

She finished two shots clear of India’s Shreyasi Singh, who claimed silver.

Rachel Parish, with whom Kerwood also won pairs gold at Melbourne 2006, made it a medal double for England by taking bronze.

The 33-year-old from Nottingham finished level with Canada’s Cynthia Meyer on 91 and triumphed in a sudden-death shoot-off.

Top six
1. S. Scott (England)132-27+2-30; 2. M. French 132-27+2-29; 3. A. Mohd (135, 27, 26); 4. N.L. Xuereb (Malta) 131-26-24; 5. A. Mittal (India) 32-25; 6. T. Turner (Australia) 128-25.

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