Silver for shooter Mathew Goodwin at ISSF World Cup in Lonato, Italy (From Hereford Times)

Silver for shooter Mathew Goodwin at ISSF World Cup in Lonato, Italy

9:00am Thursday 31st May 2012 in Sport By Paul Rogers

DISABLED clay shooter Mathew ‘Sidney’ Goodwin has won a silver medal in the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Lonato, Italy.

Goodwin, from Almeley, bailed 101 targets over the qualification round to make the six-man single barrel final and went on to take a podium finish.

“It took a little while to sink in and I’m disappointed I couldn’t catch the leader, but I’m pleased with silver,” said Goodwin.

“More than anything it was just an amazing experience to shoot at one of the biggest and most famous shooting grounds in the world and rub shoulders with the famous competitors in the sport.”

Goodwin, aged 34, who was paralysed in a car accident in 1996, was competing in his first big competition since 2010 and was his first medal in the Olympic Trap discipline.

He previously won the SDSG mini-international in 2008 and was a silver medalist in the Fitasc Universal Trench World Championships the following year.

Although clay shooting has been an olympic sport for many years, it is not yet included in the paralympic programme.

Therefore, the ISSF, who control the Olympic disciplines, incorporated an event for disabled shooters into the main World Cup.

“Due to the growing international recognition we are now receiving, it’s now looking even more likely that Olympic Trap will be included into the Paralympics for the first time in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, though this is yet to be decided,” added Goodwin.