Event: Trap
Who is he? Competing in the Trap event or clay pigeon shooting, Derek Burnett is set to make his fourth successive appearance at an Olympics at London as Ireland’s sole competitor in the event.
The 41-year-old Longford native first made the cut as a wild card for the Sydney Games in 2000, where he finished 18th then went on to better that four years later, ending tied for seventh place.
In 2008, however, he was bitterly disappointed to only manage 29th.
Road to London: Burnett’s place was confirmed back in May when he earned one of the 33 quote places on the back of his bronze medal win at the European Championships.
What he says about himself: “Beijing knocked the teeth out of me. Going into that tournament, I was confident I was shooting well and could do well. But it’s a bit like golf, if it doesn’t go well on the day you can find yourself a long way from the top. I would say if I’m shooting well during the tournament I’ll certainly be within a chance.” (Longford Leader, 2012)
Medal chances? Currently ranked 25th in the world, Burnett’s third place finish in 2010 plus a number of strong performances this year means it would be wrong to overlook him. Four Jimmies.
If he was a YouTube video, he’d be… The Stone Roses – Shoot You Down
YouTube credit: MarkTurver199
