Shooter Zappelli Still Has Fire In The Belly  

Anton Zappelli’s Paris campaign has come to an end after finishing 18th overall in the R6 mixed 50m rifle prone SH1 Para-shooter category on Thursday. 

Up against the elements in the open-air 50m rifle range at Chateauroux Shooting Centre, Zappelli shot a total score of 616.5 across six 10-shot series, throughout 50 minutes of match time. 

In a stacked field of 36 competitors, only the top eight qualified for the final, with Tokyo bronze medallist Juan Antonio Saavedra Reinaldo from Spain finishing the round in first place on 626.9 points. 

Speaking after the event Zappelli said while the wind conditions were OK, it was the cold weather that caught him off guard. 

“The conditions in terms of the wind was actually perfect, there was no wind which makes it difficult to accept the result,” he said. 

“I expected to shoot 620 plus, like a mid 625 after seeing the wind conditions, but the cold weather was a different story. Then looking out over the range and once I was in position and doing in-sighters I was cold. 

“The contrast between the firing point and the target was really dark and the targets were all lit up and they haven’t been like that all week when we’ve been training so that was a bit of a shock – it was quite hard to get that contrast working.” 

Thursday’s event marked Zappelli’s second appearance in Paris after placing 15th overall in the R6 mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1 (631.9) on Sunday. Reflecting on his 2024 campaign, Zappelli said he gave it his all in the green and gold. 

“I think overall I competed strongly, and I did the best I could do,” he said. 

“I think I trained really well throughout the last two weeks considering we’ve been here so long, but that also makes it harder to accept the score because it didn’t reflect the training I was doing. 

“There’s something in there that wasn’t translating, but overall, it was a reasonably solid appearance.” 

Zappelli has now competed in three Paralympic Games and his results here in Paris has made him determined to keep training and hopefully make the team in LA. 

“Being a triple Paralympian is a great thing, not many people get to say that, but you always want to do better, and I feel like I’m capable to doing better – hopefully I’ll be around for another Games, and I can perform to my ability,” he said. 

The father of three is looking forward to returning home to reunited with his family after more than four weeks away. 

“I’m definitely looking forward to seeing my family and I’m going to be dropped right in it because it’s school holidays and my wife goes back to work,” he said with a laugh. 

“Hopefully we can get out and do some fun activities and if the weather is good, maybe some fishing.” 

Shooting Results for Paris 2024: 

Anton Zappelli 

• 15th overall in the R6 mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1 (631.9) 

• 18th overall in the R6 mixed 50m rifle prone SH1 (616.5) 

Natalie Smith 

• 12th overall in the R2 women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 (614.1) 

• 8th overall in the R8 women’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 (396.2) 

By: Danielle Balales, Paralympics Australia

Published: 5 September 2024