Three years ago, Sharon Niven missed out on a place at Glasgow 2014 by the finest of margins, but with less than six months until the 2018 Commonwealth Games kick off, the trap shooter knows that her Commonwealth debut is within touching distance.
Three years ago, the Armadale shooter was just a third of a clay away from making Team Scotland, but rather than be disheartened by the experience, it served to strengthen her desire to make sure she never felt like that again. “Glasgow was a real heartbreak for me and what made it even harder was that no one went for Scotland in my event so I just couldn’t understand why they would leave the spot empty at a home Games,” the 41 year-old said.
“I was asked to shoot at Glasgow 2014 as a filler (to help get the range ready) and after having a think about it, I said yes and I’m so glad I did – it was a fantastic experience.
“And I said to myself that there was no way that I was going to let my selection for 2018 be in dispute, I was going to make sure I was there.”
Niven has certainly used that motivation well in 2017 has produced some of the performances of her career. A new personal best of 69 (out of 75) came in February and earlier this month, she won the Scottish Ladies Double Trap title for the fifth consecutive year.
Niven’s progress is, she believes, down to a change of coach and in a sport in which mental strength is so important, she has found someone who knows exactly how to make her tick. “Since joining up with my coach, Marco, a few years ago, I’ve gone from strength to strength,” she said.
“Before I was working with him, it was like I was wading through treacle – I just wasn’t making progress but he helps my mental routines a lot so that’s being reflected in my scores which has been great.”
Niven’s improvement could not have come at a better time. On Monday, the Commonwealth Federation Shooting Championships begin in Brisbane, Australia and double-up as a test event for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Competing at the venue where the Commonwealth Games shooting competition will take place does, admits Niven, make the prospect of making her Games debut feel very real. “I’m really excited about this competition – the same criteria was used for this team as will be used for the Commonwealth Games so that makes me feel like I’m in good shape,” she said.
“I’m in a good position to make the Commonwealth Games team but you can never be sure of anything until it’s officially named.
“We’ve been concentrating on this test event because some of the best shooters in the world are Australian and I’ll be competing against the Olympic champion, which will be such a buzz.
“I want to beat my personal best this week and if I beat my PB, the chances are that I’m going to get in the final and I could medal as well.”
Niven was a relative late-comer to the sport. Despite her father being a gun owner, Niven showed little interest in following in his footsteps until her late teens when she decided to give it a go. From that moment, she has never looked back. “My whole life, my dad has owned a gun - my uncle’s family had a farm and my dad would go there and shoot pigeons but as a kid, I was never interested,” she said.
“When I was about 19 though, my dad found a local gun club I went along with him. I loved it and I started entering competitions but I was just doing it for fun.
“Shooting fell by the wayside for a while for me but then I got divorced and I picked it up again and it’s gone from there.”
Niven’s progress in the past few years was highlighted by her first-ever selection to represent Great Britain earlier this year. That was, she admits, a pivotal moment for her and has given her the belief that Olympic selection could potentially be the next step in her career. “Making the British team was huge – I never thought that would ever happen,” she said.
“Some of the scores I’m getting now could make finals in World Cups and so that makes me think that there’s no reason why I can’t look at look at the Olympics being a possibility.
“I’m going to get a new gun and so if I work hard and get rid of any bad habits, I feel like there’s no reason why I can’t be a regular member of Team GB going forward.”
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