Sight firmly set on gold

4:00pm Wednesday 6th August 2008

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BRITAIN’S number one archer is aiming for success at the Beijing Olympics.

Naomi Folkard, 24, of Kidderminster, has been British number one for four years and is British outdoor, indoor and field champion.

Her medal collection includes silvers from the Commonwealth Games and European Indoor Championships and a bronze from the World Field Championships, all in 2006.

Naomi is currently 11th in the world and her highest ranking was 9th, in May this year.

She said she was happy with her preparation going into the Olympics, adding: “I have been shooting well this season and I have a lot of recent match experience and finals experience, which will give me confidence going into the games.

“The matches are just 12 arrows each, though, so things don’t always go how you’d expect them to.” She said she hoped to reach the top eight in Beijing but added: “I am there because I think I can win a medal. Everybody at the games will be trying their hardest to win a medal. That is the ultimate goal for everybody.

“In the team event, we have a very strong team, who have been ranked second in the world for over two years. We have to shoot our best and have a little bit of luck on our side but I think we can win a medal.”

Having competed in Athens in 2004, she knows what it is like to perform in front of a big crowd. She explained: “It was so exciting. I thought it would make me nervous but I think it spurred me on to shoot even better.

“I'm sure it will be similar in Beijing, unless I'm shooting against a Chinese woman, but I'm prepared for that, as I shot against a French girl in the final of the Europeans, in front of a French crowd.”

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