Shooting

Last Saturday saw three time Olympian Derek Burnett presented to President McAleese along with ICPSA High Performance/Olympic Team Manager Kevin Kilty and the Chairman of the ICPSA Edmond O'Hara.

The Ireland Team of Philip Murphy, Colin Tanner and Derek Burnett finished in a very creditable 4th place at the conclusion of the Olympic Trap event at the European Shooting Confederation European Championships in Cyprus.

The ISSF World Cup in Beijing is a test event for the forthcoming Olympic Games in August. It has attracted the largest contingent of contenders so far seen as it is a combined event with rifle, pistol and shotgun events competing simultaneously and ICPSA High Performance Director Kevin Kilty will be posting reports from China outling each days events.

The High Performance Programme has just completed a very successful training camp in Italy which featured the attendance of top international sports psychologist and high performance support staff member Professor Peter Terry. During the camp Philip Murphy won the 2nd annual Trofeo del Pecetto.

The ICPSA High Performance programme continues its build up to the first ISSF World Cup of 2008 which takes place in early April at the Olympic shooting ranges in Beijing.

ICPSA High Performance Programme members Derek Burnett and Philip Murphy were singled out at the RTE Sports Awards which were televised last night for their outstanding successes in 2007 when they won individual silver medals in Olympic Trap at an ISSF World Cup and the ISSF World Championships respectively.

Irelands World Championships Olympic Trap silver medallist Philip Murphy has shot up the listings and is now ranked number two in the world by the ISSF behind double Olympic Champion and the current World Champion and world record holder Michael Diamond.

Irelands Philip Murphy has claimed the individual Silver medal at the ISSF World Championships Olympic Trap

Ireland's Bronze medal winning Olympic Trap Team returned home from the recent ISSF World Championships in Cyprus on Friday afternoon last and were greeted at Dublin Airport by a number of well wishers.

Philip Murphy finished on 75 straight to qualify in second place for the ISSF World Championships Olympic Trap final. As a bonus Philips score combined with Derek Burnett and David Malones 118s secured the World Championships Team Bronze medal.

Best placed of the Irish in a very high scoring men's Olympic Trap event is Philip Murphy sitting on 73 out of 75, to be followed by David Malone on 70 and Derek Burnett on 69 for 11th, 60th and 65th positions respectively from a field of 146 entries.

The ICPSA High Performance Programme received a welcome boost today when the updated world rankings were released by the International Shooting Sports Federation and Longfords Derek Burnett was placed fifth in Olympic Trap.