Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Disappointment for Seonaid McIntosh in women's 10m air rifle

Seonaid McIntosh has missed out on a place in the final of the women's 10m air rifle in the Tokyo games' opening medal event.

Seonaid McIntosh failed to reach the final of the 10m air rifle event

The Scottish shooter finished 12th out of 50, just an agonising 1.3 points off the top-eight spot that would have prolonged her medal hopes.

Competitors fire a total of 60 shots split into six lots of ten and while admitting that the heat was difficult to begin with, the 25-year-old gave a stronger showing in the second half of her performance, although her final effort of 9.3 was her lowest score of the day.

McIntosh has another chance at a medal in next weekend’s 50m rifle three positions when she returns to the Asaka Shooting Range as world number one.

Speaking after the 10m event she said: “I am mostly happy with how I fought through it and while the last couple of shots weren’t great, I’m pleased with how I performed.

"I struggled a bit with fatigue and the heat.

"I just tried to focus on finding good shots and finishing well. I didn’t quite manage that but I’m really happy with the rest of my performance.”

McIntosh has followed in the footsteps of sister Jen by competing at an Olympics and while no British female shooter has won an Olympic medal, the Edinburgh-born athlete will hope to change that next week when she participates in her favoured event on Saturday July 31.

The most successful female British rifle shooter ever added: “If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said this was a sighter for the 50m. In the last year this event has got a lot better but I knew I was perfectly capable of winning a medal.

“I need to process this first and know what to take forward [into next week]. It’s a very different event and it is about keeping that fight.”

China’s Yang Qian was the winner in the 10m air rifle final, winning the first gold medal of the Games ahead of the Russian Olympic Committee’s Anastasiia Galashina and Switzerland’s Nina Christen who took silver and bronze respectively.

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