Peter Wilson comes out of retirement

Olympic double trap gold medallist Peter Wilson (below) is coming out of retirement to compete at the next games in Tokyo – in a different discipline.

In 2012 Wilson had an incredible year setting a double trap world record, shooting 198 out of

200 in Tucson, Arizona, and winning gold at the Olympic Games in London. For the past three years, Wilson has been coaching James Dedman, who earlier this year set a new junior world record. In February, despite Wilson’s protestations, the International Shooting Sport Federation voted to remove double trap on the grounds of gender equality.

“I had argued as best I could from outside the organisation that shooting was one of the few Olympic sports in which men and women could compete on an equal basis, but to no avail,” Wilson told The Field. But with the help of Doctor Geoffrey and

Kate Guy who offered to part-fund the next chapter of his competitive career he decided to attempt something no man has done before – to win the Olympic Games in two separate shotgun disciplines, this time in Olympic trap.

Realising how much training is needed, Wilson and his wife, the equine artist Michelle Mccullagh, are moving this autumn to Llangunllo in Powys to be near the Griffin-lloyd shooting ground, one of the best Olympic shooting facilities in the UK.

“I intend to push myself harder than ever before and with the help of my coach, Ahmed Al Maktoum, I want to rewrite history,” said Wilson, now aged 30.