TOR CHITTINAND
Sutiya Jiewchaloemmit has already made history as Thailand's first skeet shooter to have qualified for the Olympics. Although Thailand are pinning their hopes on boxing, weightlifting and taekwondo, Sutiya could become a surprise package.
The 21-year-old star earned her Olympic spot by finishing fifth at the 2007 World Championships in Cyprus.
Sutiya, who is training in Germany, is brimming with confidence that she could defy all the odds to finish on the podium.
''I am confident that I will do well at the 2008 Games. I believe that I have the potential to become successful,'' she said. ''If I do well on the first day, then I may get a medal.''
The first day of the skeet competition is scheduled for August 14.
Sutiya is familiar with the competition venue as she has competed there. She said it was a good shooting range with beautiful scenery.
''The weather is fine for me. The venue will not be a problem for me,'' she said.
Nicknamed 'Nee', Sutiya has been in good form over the past two years. Apart from finishing fifth at the 2007 World Championships, she also was runner-up at the Asian Shooting Championships, won gold at the Asian Clay Championships and finished eighth at the Skeet and Trap World Cup.
Suebchai Chainuwat, president of the Skeet and Trap Shooting Association of Thailand (STSA), said he had monitored Sutiya's progress since she took up the sport in 2002.
''She has a lot of talent and concentration for the sport,'' he said. ''If she can stay focussed on the first day of competition, they she may be able to bring home a medal.''
While there will be a large number of world-class shooters in Beijing, Suebchai said Sutiya was not afraid of her opponents.
''There are several good Chinese shooters in the competition but Sutiya has beaten many of them including the world's number one,'' he said. ''I think the Chinese will have a lot of pressure as expectations are high.''
Suebchai said he hoped Sutiya would do well in Beijing as her good performance would encourage the young to take up the sport. ''At the moment, we have very few skeet and trap shooters. If Sutiya does well in Beijing, it could make the sport more popular here,'' he said.
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