Last updated at 09:08, Friday, 27 July 2012

ARCHER Alan Wills takes part in the archery ranking round at Lord's on the opening morning of competition in London 2012. PAUL TURNER reports from the home of cricket

On target: Alan Wills, who took part in a World Record Status tournament at Penrith on Saturday

ARCHER Alan Wills was the first Cumbrian in action at the London 2012 Olympics on the opening morning of competition at Lord’s.

The 30-year-old Frizington man, nicknamed dangerous for his sometimes fiery temper, was among 64 men taking part in the ranking round at the home of cricket.

Starting at 9am, Wills – ranked 115th in the world – and his Great Britain team-mates Simon Terry and Larry Godfrey will fire 72 arrows at a target 70m away.

Sellafield Archery Club Wills went into the Beijing Games in 2008 as one of the favourites for the competition, but failed to advance beyond the last 16.

His form this year has not been quite so good and the trio stand more chance in the team competition, which takes place tomorrow.

Early morning conditions at Lords were overcast, but the sun started to break through on occasion about an hour before the start of competition, with the ranking range starting to fill up at 7.30am as archers came out for practice.

All three Brits will be in the last group of archers to shoot this morning, with Wills on target number three, to the far right of the range of 22 targets.

There is little wind, but what there is will blow from the left of the archers on the ranking range, which is just behind the huge media centre at Lord’s.
 

First published at 08:48, Friday, 27 July 2012
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk