By Stephen Delaney Hale
Correspondent
Article dated April 19, 1996

AIKEN - Members of the British Olympic Shooting Team say they were rooting for fellow countryman Nick Faldo to win the Masters.

``He's mister precision, isn't he?'' said former two-time world record holder Kevin Gill over dinner Wednesday night at the South Carolina Outdoor Shooting Center near Aiken.

It is logical that these Olympic athletes admire a golfer's precision when that is what separates them from the millions of trap and skeet shooters around the globe.

Gill and five teammates were in the middle of a four-day practice and relaxation layover between their flight from England and the World Cup shooting matches near Atlanta this weekend. With Gill were 19-year-old phenom Richard Faulds and women's team members Claire Watts and Anita North. Heading the delegation were team manager Roger Pace and coach Ian Coley. A fifth shooter, Peter Boden, was delayed for business reasons and will join the team in Atlanta.

Gill is relied on as a veteran of dozens of international events, including the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and Faulds is one of the bright stars on the shooting horizon. He was the Junior World Champion in Sporting Clays over the past two years and last year second overall as well.

The team arrived at the Augusta's Bush Field Monday evening and spent Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday relaxing, and ``shooting a bit,'' as coach Coley said.

Coley said they plan to return to the Aiken shooting center on July 7 and stay for six to seven days before returning to Atlanta for the Olympic games.

``We like to use this place as a base camp where we can get away from the hustle and bustle,'' coach Coley said. ``We need a day for every hour time difference from home to get over the jet lag. So we'll need at least five days rest before the games. Then we'll do a little bit of training prior to moving on into the Olympics.''

``And we are so fortunate that we could find this site so close to Atlanta. This is a great facility, equal to almost any in the world. This level of facility just doesn't come up everywhere,'' Coley said.

The quality of the facility and the climate of the Southeast compared to Britain influenced team leaders to decide to use the SCOSC as their permanent training base for major competitions in the future, the coach said.

Also coming to the center next week will be the top-ranked Italian team of about six shooters, said SCOSC owner Rich Sherman. Gill said he has spoken to the Australian team manager who plans to bring his team here before the Olympic games.

``We would be pleased,'' with training with the Australians, Gill said. ``We get on well with them.''

Going into the World Cup and the Olympics, coach Coley said ``We are confident and hopeful. But, mind you, medals don't come easy.''