By JARROD POTTER
SHOOTING for Australia at her maiden Olympic Games, Laetisha Scanlan had to go through the wringer just to make the team.
Scanlan, 25, from Berwick, endured a brutal end to her Olympic Games qualifying campaign but she shot through the pain to book her ticket to Rio.
There were ups and downs throughout the last 12 months, but it all came to a head for the shotgun shooter in the weeks leading up to the final selection trial in Sydney.
Scanlan finished the job she started three and a half years ago, brushing aside multiple injury scares that threatened her selection chances, to qualify for the Australian shooting team.
“I’ve been really ramping up my fitness and from that I got a niggling back injury, then my best friend was getting married and we did a surprise hen’s party in Bali and on the way back from Bali I was in a car crash,” Scanlan said. “I got severe whiplash and I think I had nine or 10 days before my last Olympic trial – so I couldn’t train in that time because I couldn’t move my neck left or right.
“But I had a good physio and team behind me that got me up and moving, so it was just really bad timing –
“I didn’t do as well as I hoped, but obviously it was enough to get me over the line and I think my past performances in the last 12 months did help the selection panel see who was the best medal chance for Rio.”
While she’s thrilled to make the team, Scanlan admits the announcement is only the start of the hard work and it will only get tougher from here.
“I mean it’s been a pretty good week in terms of fulfilling four years of goals and plans … but unfortunately I think the team announcement was the easiest thing that’s going to happen in the next four months,” Scanlan said. “I’ve got a lot of work and preparation ahead of me … being my first Olympics I’m not too sure how everything is going to turn out so I’m just going to try and be as prepared as possible for all the outcomes and we’ll go from there.”
For the Commonwealth Games gold medallist – earning her accolades at both Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014 – she can look back without regret about 2012.
While she wasn’t ready for the London Olympic Games, Scanlan believes just missing out focused her Rio ambitions and pushed her even harder.
“I look back and think about 2012 now and think I wasn’t ready,” Scanlan said. “I wouldn’t have been ready for those Games and I was a little bit inexperienced, little bit too immature and in hindsight it was probably better as it gave me a kick up the butt and I did work very hard for the next three and a bit years to get where I wanted to be.
“To be competitive on the international stage, I think it’s really important to know you can make it with the world’s best, so it gives you a little bit of a boost.”
Scanlan has already departed for Rio for a test event and World Cup event this week and will have plenty on the cards before she heads off in August for the Olympics.
She’s well placed heading into the Games, ranked within the top-10 in the world, but she admits it all comes down to each shot on the day.
“I think I’m ranked fifth or sixth in the world, just got back from the first World Cup event after I missed out on the final by one target,” Scanlan said. “I’m in the mix – I’m still in the top 10 – but I think the most important thing about shooting is that you have a lot of ups and downs and it’s all about peaking at the right moment, and I’m trying to get that process ready for August.
“At the end of the day, Rio is what really matters.”
Most importantly, she’ll have her cheer-squad right behind her at the Deodoro Olympic Shooting Centre as her parents will make the trip across to South America.
“I’m just really excited – I’m lucky enough that my parents are going to come over and watch me which I think is very special for them,” Scanlan said. “They’re my number one fans and have seen me progress through the ranks from when I started, when I was 15, to where I am now.
“So they’re probably more proud and happy than I am – so it will be nice to have that kind of support over there.”
