Michael Babb

Michael Babb (born 14 October 1963 in Farnborough, Kent) is a British sport shooter.[2] He has competed for Team GB in small-bore rifle prone at two Olympics (2000 and 2004), and has been close to an Olympic medal in 2004, finishing in seventh position. Apart from his Olympic career, Babb has won a total of seven medals in a major international competition, including two silvers at the Commonwealth Games (2002 and 2006).[1] Throughout his sporting career, Babb trains full-time under assistant head coach Kimmo Yli-Jaskari of the national team, while he shoots at Appleton Rifle Club in Warrington.[1][3]

Michael Babb
Personal information
Full nameMichael Babb
Nationality Great Britain
Born (1963-10-14) 14 October 1963
Farnborough, Kent,
England
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight125 kg (276 lb)
Sport
SportShooting
Event(s)50 m rifle prone (FR60PR)
ClubAppleton Rifle Club[1]
Coached byKimmo Yli-Jaskari[1]
Medal record
Men's shooting
Representing  England
Commonwealth Games
2002 Manchester FR60PR
2006 Melbourne FR60PR
Representing  Great Britain
European Championships
1999 Bordeaux FR60PR

Babb began shooting small-bore rifle at the age of 14, and quickly progressed to the British Junior Training Squad that culminated him in a runner-up finish at the European Championships in 1983. As medals and records followed, Babb attained a reserve position for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, but his marksmanship prominence did not occur until 1999, when he won a silver in rifle prone at the European Championships in Bordeaux, France.[1] Babb's monumental effort had earned him an Olympic place for Team GB on his debut at Sydney 2000, but suddenly failed to reach the final in the 50 m rifle prone, after finishing in a five-way tie for twenty-fifth place at 592 points.[4][5]

In 2002, Babb was able to back up his feat from the Olympics when England hosted the Commonwealth Games at Manchester. There, he pocketed a silver medal in his signature event with a score of 699.0, losing the title to Australia's Timothy Lowndes by less than a point.[6] Babb also teamed up with Neil Day to dominate the field in the rifle prone pairs, recording a first-place combined score at 1189 points.[7] On that same season, Babb won his first ever individual gold at the ISSF World Cup meet in Milan, Italy with a brilliant 700.7, securing him an Olympic berth for Britain at his second Games.[8][9]

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Babb qualified for his second British team in the men's 50 m rifle prone.[9] Clearly an Olympic medal hopeful, Babb shot 595 out of a possible 600 to grab the sixth seed from the prelims, before ruling out of his contention to seventh in the eight-man final round with 101.8 points for a total of 696.8.[10][11]

Shortly after the Olympics, Babb won a silver medal in the rifle prone at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne with a score of 696.2, repeating his effort at Manchester four years earlier.[12]

References
  1. "ISSF Profile – Michael Babb". ISSF. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  2. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Michael Babb". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  3. "Beijing 2008: Egington becomes Warrington's most successful Olympian". Warrington Guardian. 17 August 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  4. "Sydney 2000: Shooting – Men's 50m Rifle Prone" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. pp. 49–51. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  5. "Sweden's Edman a Narrow Winner". Los Angeles Times. 21 September 2000. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  6. "Teenager takes trap title". BBC Sport. 1 August 2002. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  7. Hughes, Michael (29 July 2002). "Babb and Day on target for England". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  8. "Shooting 2004 Olympic Qualification" (PDF). Majority Sports. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  9. "Britain's shooting stars". BBC Sport. 29 June 2004. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  10. "Shooting: Men's 50m Rifle Prone Final". Athens 2004. BBC Sport. 15 August 2004. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  11. Adamson, Mike (20 August 2004). "Olympics: as it happens". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  12. "More success for British shooters". BBC Sport. 22 March 2006. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
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