Marksman James Bevis aiming for gold at the London 2012 Paralympics (From Hereford Times)

Marksman James Bevis aiming for gold at the London 2012 Paralympics

4:30pm Wednesday 22nd August 2012 in Sport

SHOOTER James Bevis wants only one thing at London 2012 – a Paralympic gold medal.

And he believes his greatest enemy is not his global rivals - but the paritsan home crowd.

“I only train to win,” said the 36-yearold, who is expecting support from a bumper fan club.

“I’ve been ranked number one in the world, so I’m only here for a gold medal.

I’m not interested in anything else, it’s all I strive for.

“When your training has been for a gold medal, anything else seems like a failure.

“Knowing that family are there is really nice, but I need to have all of my preparations the same as normal.

“I’ll be throwing my phone in the river once they’re here I think; when they’re in London they’re on their own as I need to be focused on what I’m doing.

“If my niece looks at me with those loveable eyes I might have to get a security guard to come and take her away.

“It’s things like that you can’t have running through your mind.”

London 2012 will be Bevis’ second experience of the Paralympic Games.

He picked up a pair of 19th-place finishes in the 10m mixed air rifle competition, standing and prone, in Beijing four years ago.

“I have complete self-belief in my ability and I think if everything goes well for me a gold is what I will achieve,” he said.

“I know I can shoot better than the majority of my opponents, if not all of them, on my day.

“Sometimes it’s down to luck and how the day goes.”

He admits the new British kit only adds to his excitement about the home Games, which kick off next Wednesday.

“Getting the kit was mad because it’s something you can get really excited about,” he added.

“It took me nearly four years to stop wearing my kit from Beijing so it’s been tough to let stuff go I think.

“It’s amazing having a Games at home and being part of that, it’s hard to put into words, really.”

Å Lloyds TSB, proud supporter of ParalympicsGB and proud partner of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Get closer to the Games at lloydstsb.com/ london2012