The 57-year-old took the gold in shooting’s free pistol competition yesterday to push Island colleague and regular pairs partner Derek Bernard into second place.
Ward’s gold was attained at the Kalamonas Pistol Range in the ISSF 50m free pistol discipline for his sixth medal of the week and third gold – the others were partnering Bernard in the military rapid-fire and centre-fire disciplines.
Team shoots Chartered health and safety practitioner Ward (57) said: ‘I’m very pleased.
It should be pointed out that forty per cent of the medals I’ve won have been in team competitions, so I must thank the others who continue to support me.
You can’t win a team medal without them, so it’s not all been my effort.
‘That’s three golds this week, and today’s was extra special because I did not expect to win it.
I checked my score and wrote off my chances, but the wind increased and I eventually won with a score of 496, which is 20-odd points lower than I expected before I started.’ Ward, who said he would celebrate with a gin and tonic and a glass of red wine at dinner last night, is already looking forward to adding to his magnificent haul of silverware captured at seven Island Games.
‘I have five more disciplines remaining this week and the one I’d really ike to win is the military rapid-fire because it’s in the the Games for the first time.
Derek and I won the team gold, and it will be a challenging competition.
‘m looking forward to it.
‘My next target has to be getting to 75 medals – and then possibly 100!’ Ward”s wife, Jenny, finished fourth in the Olympic final in the women’s individual sports pistol – a good result considering that she qualified for the final in fifth place.
Ward missed out on a medal to Guernsey’s Nick Trebert.
Alain Cabaret and Mark Douglas’s IPSC open team medal has been confirmed as bronze, and not silver, as predicted yesterday.
In a good standard individual competition Douglas was seventh and Cabaret ninth.
Another late result from Tuesday has meant another medal for Jersey, Bob Blake and Mike Quénault taking silver in the men’s team sport pistol.
Three further medals were won at the Kapistriou Shooting Hall yesterday, David Turner and Scott Douglas yielding silver and bronze respectively in the men’s individual air-rifle and Aebhanne Rees-Williams taking silver in the women’s event.
The men’s event was close as Gotland totalled 572, Turner 571 and Douglas 569.
At the Afandou Clay Target Range yesterday there were no medals for Jersey shooters as Jon de la Haye and Mark Andrews placed 11th and 12th respectively after both scoring 102.
