THE unique water droplet design of the medals that will be presented in Aland have caught Nikki Trebert’s eye.

Nikki Trebert and Tim Pond. (Picture by Andrew Le Poidevin, 0792012)

Guernsey’s star shooter won a medal of each colour in Rhodes and now she heads to her fifth Games hoping to add more to her collection.

‘I want one of those nice medals,’ Trebert said with a giggle. ‘I think a gold one would look really good.’

And the 33-year-old fancies her chances of getting one.

‘I have only two ladies’ events this time – the air pistol and the sports pistol – and I am definitely within the top three of four in those, so I am looking to challenge for gold,’ Trebert said.

‘In the standard pistol, they are not running that as a separate ladies’ competition, so I have entered with the men.

‘Competing with them is going to be exceptionally difficult, so I am not too confident of my medal chances in that, but I will do my best and use it as a good experience.’

But what if she pulls off a shock and manages gold in the standard pistol?

‘If that happens I am going to buy a lot of champagne.’

The Guernsey girl has a terrific pedigree and goes into the Games having broken the British women’s 10m air pistol record in September with 263 ex 300 at Bisley.

She reported that her training had gone really well and added: ‘We are just really eager to get there now. The nerves are starting to kick in.’

Trebert is expecting her main rival from Rhodes to be one of the forces again this time around.

‘Iryna [Tyletskaya] from Aland is going to be one of the main competitors,’ she said.

‘Mary Norman from Jersey is also very good, but generally all the Scandinavian shooters are exceptional.

‘When competing head on head with those guys you do have your work cut out.’

The Bredmo shooting range, which have been updated specifically for the Games, are likely to be a world apart from those that Trebert found in Rhodes.

The state of the art facilities include the use of scopes for the shooters to see where their shoots have gone.

‘Rhodes was really difficult – the facilities and conditions were challenging,’ Trebert said.

‘In Aland it will be something quite new for us.

‘I have used a scope when shooting 2.2 so hopefully it is not going to be to different for me, but for others it is something very new.’

Trebert is joined in the two-strong Guernsey shooting team by husband Tim Pond, who also competed in Rhodes.

He faces a stiff challenge in the men’s 10m air pistol in Aland.

‘His training seems to be coming along well,’ Trebert said.

‘I’d be really happy if he reached the final because it is a strong competition – all the Scandinavians are up with the British records – but the experience will certainly help in the lead up to future Games.’

Guernsey team:
Nikki Trebert and Tim Pond.

Schedule
Thursday 2 July
10m air pistol
Friday 3 July
25m standard pistol
25m sports pistol

Medal hopes: Trebert looks set to reach the podium twice during the week and possibly be on the top step.