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and beat Jersey’s best to claim a place at this summer’s Island Games.
He will be joined by veteran David Turner, his mentor and the man he partnered as the pair won silver at the Guernsey Games in 2003.
They were the top scorers in a series of three selection shoots last month with their reward a trip to Shetland in July.
Douglas hurt his back when he fell off the stage while taking his performing arts A-level exam last May.
That meant he missed most of the 2004 season.
But then the Eastern ARC man decided he’d like to go to Shetland and, after a little practice, was top shot with 575 in the first six-man trial at St Lawrence.
He dropped out of the second at the Eastern but then returned for the third at St John to go one point better for a best-two scores average of 575.50.
He said: ‘When I turned up for the first qualifying shoot David couldn’t really believe I was there.
But I’d had a couple of practice sessions and I really wanted to go to Shetland.
‘My back’s a lot better now.
It gives me no problems at all on the range.
I’m training three times a week – on my bike and swimming and in the gym – so I’ll be in good shape for the Games.
I think we’ve got the chance of a medal again – but I’m not going to predict the colour.’ Douglas also revealed that, despite the tumble, he still passed his A-level exam! Meanwhile Turner, Douglas’s Eastern clubmate and a medal winner in each of the last three Games, has been showing the best form of his shooting life in the past 12 months.
After a reasonable score in the opening trial he posted 576 in the second and followed that with 571 in the third to finish second on average.
Turner will also be the air rifle team manager.
He said: ‘I’ve been coaching Scott since he started and we practice together.
We have plenty of fun and it’ll be good to be competing with him again at the Games – we’re shooting well and we think we’ve got a chance of gold this time.’ St Lawrence man Tony Edwards will be non-travelling reserve after coming in third with a 553 average.
* All the shoots were of the standard ISSF competition course of 60 shots, each at a different range.
