Olympics: UAE shooter Dhaher Al Aryani fails to hit finals target

The UAE's final hope of claiming a shooting medal at London 2012 has ended after Dhaher Al Aryani failed to qualify for the Men's Trap final.

UAE shooter Dhaher Al Alaryani competes during the final men's trap shooting qualifying session at Royal Artillery Barracks.
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LONDON // Dhaher Al Aryani, the Ras Al Khaimah-based shooter representing the UAE, missed out on a finals place in the trap after finishing 32nd in the qualification round yesterday.

The Arabian Gulf was represented on the podium again, though, after Fehaid Al Deehani took bronze for Kuwait, to add to the bronze Nasser Al Attiyah won for Qatar in the skeet last week.

Al Deehani, who was formerly coached by Rustam Yambulatov, the Uzbek coach who moved to Dubai to coach last year after 13 successful years in Kuwait, crept into third place after a shoot-off in the final.

The Kuwaiti shooter, who also took bronze in the trap discipline in Sydney 12 years ago, made the most of a remarkable implosion by the Australian shooter Michael Diamond. The 40 year old had seemed certain to take a medal after shooting a perfect 125 to break his own Olympic record by one, which he recorded in winning gold at Atlanta in 1996, in the qualification round.

However, his radar went awry at the vital moment at the Royal Artillery Barracks. He missed five times in the final, and was eventually edged out of the medals by Al Deehani.

sports@thenational.ae

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