Keep an eye on Thomas (From Warrington Guardian)

Keep an eye on Thomas

8:00am Wednesday 24th December 2008 in Sport

COMPOUND archer Thomas Abbott’s first competitive season has been littered with victories and culminated in an appearance at the National Indoor Championships.

The 14-year-old Great Sankey High School pupil started out in the sport five years ago but only entered his first competition in May and now the national team selectors look set to keep an eye on his potential for the future.

Abbott, inspired by Warrington’s Paralympian archery gold medal winner John Stubbs, has set his siights on representing Great Britain at the Olympic Games in London in 2012.

His competitive talents were first tested at the Junior Metric Open Tournament, incorporating the Cheshire/Lancashire Inter County Junior Tournament, seven months ago, with Abbott finishing second in the individual compound under 14s category and winning the team compound for Cheshire.

Then, after finishing first at the Cheshire Junior Championships, the former Crosfields Cardinals rugby league player represented Cheshire at the Five Northern Counties Tournament in Penrith, winning the individual competition and the team compound category.

His season ended with 10th place on his debut in the Junior National Indoor Championships at Lilleshall, competing against GB and England archers up to two years older than himself and was the only participant in his competition not using sight assists.

He first started out in field archery at the age of nine, joining his uncle for sessions.

Abbott began to show his keen eye for the target and changed to target archery when he was 11 years old.

He had to retrain using a sight as he had been shooting ‘barebow’ previously.

Abbott joined Warrington Wolves Archery Club where, with dedicated coaching from the staff, came on leaps and bounds.

He trains with the club, now renamed the Bowmen of Warrington, three times a week.

Abbott shoots with the seniors at the club because his scores at junior level are above the recognised scales for scoring.