Terry targeting World Cup triumph back on home soil

No British archer has ever won a gold medal in the Grand Final but Terry, brought up in the shadow of Stirling Castle, is hoping to change that.

A silver medallist in the recurve event at last year's final in Copenhagen, Terry is back at the top of his sport after giving it up following two bronze medals as a teenager at the Barcelona Olympics.

"I suppose I just achieved too much too quickly, and wanted to try other things," said the 36-year-old, who is currently ranked no.8 in the world.

"But about six years ago I bumped into a friend who was heading off to the local archery club, and it got me thinking.

"I found my old bow, dusted down some arrows, and once I started shooting again that enthusiasm took a hold.

"I was born in Stirling, where I lived for the first eight years of my life. My mother is a very proud Scot, while my dad is a Cockney.

"I first took up archery while I lived in Stirling, but the great love of my life in those days was water-skiing. We then moved, as a family, to Sleaford, in Lincolnshire, and that was the point where archery became my number one sport.

"It would be lovely to win gold in Edinburgh, not too far from where I was born. There's definitely a sense of coming home, about taking part in a major tournament in Edinburgh. It's a lovely city, Scotland is close to my heart, and winning there would be fantastic."

Defending champion Marco Galliazzo from Italy will provide a formidable threat to Terry's ambitions but he will take heart from that fact that no archer in the history of the World Cup Final has successfully held on to a title.

This weekend, the 32 best archers in the world compete across four disciplines with prize money of around 92,000 up for grabs.

If Terry has high hopes, then England's Nicky Hunt, the world no.1, starts as favourite in the women's compound event.

So far, Great Britain's World Cup record stands at two silver medals and a bronze and Hunt would love to upgrade GB to gold.

"I came fourth last year, which was disappointing, but I took so much out of it," she said.

"Having learnt from the experience I will be much stronger this time around, and I am really excited about being part of it again, especially having qualified in first place in the overall standings, and going into it having just achieved a number one world ranking for the first time."

n Gates open to the public from 9am tomorrow and Sunday. The event is free for spectators, with a small charge (5) for seating in the Grandstand.

At the event there will be a series of 'come and try' sessions organised by Scottish Archery and Archery GB - 3 for six arrows. Register on the day.