ParalympicsGB shooters targeting Paris after Jeffery and Cockbill reach Tokyo final

Shooter Tim Jeffery gave everything he had and ended with a sixth-place finish in the R9 Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH2 final in Tokyo.

 

The two-time Paralympian showed guts to hang on after a difficult opening stage of the final, sat in eighth position after all eight had completed two rounds of shooting.

 

But he improved thereon, with ParalympicsGB

teammate Ryan Cockbill and then Sweden’s Philip Jonsson the first two eliminated as Jeffery ended with a total of 163.3 for sixth position, his best result of the Games.

 

The 25-year-old had earlier qualified in fifth place with a score of 623.4, with Serbia’s Dragan Ristic producing a qualification world record 631.3 en route to the final.

 

Jeffery said: "I was really happy with the qualification this morning, so very happy going into the final but it was really was such hard work out there.

 

"My eyes were tired; it has been a long Games, a very good Games - and I don't think I had any more left in the tank.

 

"After three finals, there are just a few tiny improvements I need to make – physically and mentally – but no big major things, just the finest of margins."

 

Cockbill qualified fourth into the medal shoot with ParalympicsGB one of two nations to have two shooters in the top end of the competition.

 

But Cockbill couldn’t transform that form into the latter stages, with the 31-year-old the first eliminated to bring the curtain down on his Games.

 

"I was sitting in sixth, then a poor shot put me in the shoot-off, and that is the nature of the quick-fire final,” he said.

 

"Going forward, Paris 2024 is only three years away with the World Championships next November, so I will take a rest then be back in training early next year.

 

"The experience in Tokyo and to be back in competition has been great."

 

James Bevis missed out on joining his ParalympicsGB team-mates in the later after finishing 21st in the qualification stage.

 

The 45-year-old, a Paralympic bronze medallist at London 2012, scored 616.7 to finish within six points of the top eight.

 

"It is my fourth Games, and I came here to win, so I am very disappointed and raw at the moment,” he said.

 

"I think I was probably more ready a year ago, my family sacrificed everything, but they know what I am like I am an all-or-nothing man, so I feel I have let them down.

 

"I have the World Championships next year so I can focus on that now and it is only three years to Paris."