With the London 2012 Olympics edging closer every day – the team at ShootClay are getting excited about the shooting events – and we’re starting to watch the British competitors closely to see who will be in with a chance of a medal next August. One of our medal hopefuls is Rory Warlow, currently the Great Britain Number One at Olympic Skeet – we managed to grab a few questions and answers with him in between his many hours crisscrossing the UK and beyond as he prepares for London 2012.
Here’s what he had to say…
Rory Warlow picture by Simon Keitch (www.simonkeitch.com)
ShootClay : Let’s start at the beginning – who got you interested in Shooting? How did you get started? How old were you when you first broke a clay?
Rory Warlow : I started shooting from 12 years old, my dad and my grandfather had shot for years and one day I went along with them and had a go. Really enjoyed it and that was that. Started with English skeet and sporting in the beginning.
SC : Where are you based? What’s your home shooting venue? Who is your coach?
RW : I live in Plymouth at the moment which is quite a long way from any training facility, my nearest decent Olympic skeet range (Southern Counties Shooting Ltd) is about 2 hours away. My main training venue is in Matlock, Derbyshire, where my coach, Joe Neville is based. Joe is a two time Olympian and has mentored more people to the Olympic games than any other coach in this country.
SC : What drew you to shooting Skeet? What other disciplines do you shoot apart from Skeet?
RW : Well as I started off shooting English skeet it was really a natural progression to the Olympic version. Plus I have always enjoyed skeet the most. I shoot a little bit of FITASC and some sporting now and again but not often.
SC : We know you are pushing for an Olympic place – how are the preparations? How has the process been so far? And what’s next in your quest?
RW : Preparations for an Olympic place are going well, at present I am ranked GB No. 1 and have performed very consistently at the ISSF World Cup stages this year. The process for Olympic selection takes into account all factors, from age and experience to performance and situation. In the end it’s the decision of the British Olympic association. Next step in my quest would be to finish in the top 6 at an ISSF event.
SC : How do you feel the shooting sports are being represented at London 2012?
RW : I’m not sure how I feel about that to be honest, there doesn’t seem to be much (noise) made about the Olympics in the shooting press at the moment but I’m sure that will change during the run up to the games next year. As far as actual shooting at the Olympics go I think it’s not covered very well at all by our national press and there is a lot of ignorance about shooting sports, especially at the Olympics.
SC : A lot of our readers are interested in the kit you use – what is your current set up? Which sponsors are looking after you?
RW : I shoot a Beretta DT10 shotgun with specifically weighted barrels and a custom stock made by Esseviere (Italy). I shoot Fiocchi ammunition and I use Oakley eyewear. I have no real sponsors in the shooting world apart from Fiocchi UK; however I am sponsored by Aylesford Metal Company in Kent who very generously help me out financially each year.
SC : How do you prepare for a big competition?
RW : My preparations for a major competition are very simple, I just try to relax and focus on what I have to do. I don’t have any real mental preparation, I tried psychology but it wasn’t for me. Physically I try to lay off the gym for a week before and do lots of dry mounting but very little actual practice; I want to be eager for the competition.
SC : There’s a lot of travel involved, where has been your favourite location to shoot?
RW : Yes there is a lot of travel involved and in the 6 years I have shot for Great Britain I have been to some amazing places. My favourite range to shoot on though is Sydney International Shooting Centre in Australia. It was the venue for the 2000 Olympics shooting events, great place to compete.
SC : What is your pre-shot routine? How do you stay focused for a full round of challenging Olympic Skeet?
RW : I don’t really have a pre shot routine I just keep everything simple and do the same thing every time, skeet is about repetition. I don’t really think about it. Staying focused is a challenge but I don’t stay focused for a full round, that’s very hard. Between stands I don’t think about shooting but when I’m on the pad I live in the moment and focus 100%.
SC : One final question – do you have any superstitions when you shoot? What should we look out for when we come and watch you compete?
RW: Umm, well no real superstitions on the range as such but I always keep my gun on my shoulder until the man in front of me has finished shooting, don’t know why I do it but it’s just become second nature now. Also I like to park in the same place when I arrive at a shoot. I’m a little strange 😉
SC : Thanks for talking to ShootClay.co.uk – the whole team here wishes you luck as you stake your claim for a place in the Olympic Team – when you make it, we’ll be there to cheer you on! Thanks for answering our questions.
If you want to keep up with Rory’s progress – keep watching ShootClay – or check out www.rorywarlow.com
