Adele’s All Fired Up

2020 H&N Cup

2020 Meyton Cup

Only two shooters remained in the final of the women’s 10m Air Rifle at the 2020 H&N Cup. After 22 shots out of a maximum of 24, national shooter Adele Tan Qian Xiu was tied on points (231.4 points) with Yang Qian of China. With two shots remaining, Adele composed herself and carried on with her usual routine: Breathe, aim, fire, repeat.

“I reminded myself to keep calm; that I’ve faced similar pressurising situations before and overcome them. After every shot, I try to ‘throw away’ the previous shot, be it good or bad, and focus on the next one. This, and visualisation, keeps me calm for the next shot,” said Adele.

Her last two shots comprising scores of 10.9 – a bullseye – and 10.4 points, set her 1.0 points ahead of her Chinese rival, giving her the gold medal. Russia’s Anastasiia Galashina finished third.

Earlier in the competition on 25 January 2020, the 20-year-old Singapore Sports School alumna shot 632.5 points to qualify for the final in fourth place among a field of 112 shooters. Adele’s 60-shot score was a new National Record, bettering the previous highest score of 630.8 points set by Sports School junior Ho Xiu Yi at the same competition a year ago on 26 January 2019. Xiu Yi is in her fourth and final year of the Extended International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme offered at Sports School.

“This is just one out of the many competitions I have on my calendar. While wins provide a boost to my morale, training and hard work continue and those are what will help me reach my goals. As I gear up for several major competitions in the next few months, it’s essential that I keep focused on the bigger picture.”

Adele’s latest win in Munich, Germany, comes on the back of a successful outing at the Philippines 2019 Southeast Asian Games less than two months ago where she won 2 bronze medals at her maiden major Games appearance. The SEA Games took place shortly after the completion of her IBDP examinations, marking the end of her four-year IBDP journey. Singapore has won a quota spot at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in July and Adele is vying the single representative spot.

“Taking the Extended IBDP was probably my best decision thus far. Without the extension, I wouldn’t be able to break into the world’s top 15 shooters on ISSF’s ranking. I was able to catch up on school work through the one-to-one make-up lessons with my teachers whenever I return from overseas competitions. If our schedules clashed, my teachers would meet me outside of their work hours to ensure that I was up to pace in my studies. I will always be grateful for their selfless dedication.”

A week prior on 18 January, student-athletes Shirlene Hew Yun Ting and Teo Jia En also shot down gold medals in another European competition. Shirlene, in IBDP Year 6, and Jia En, in Secondary 4, clinched the Junior 10m Air Pistol titles in their respective gender categories at the 2020 Meyton Cup in Innsbruck, Austria, from 17 to 21 January.

“This is my first time participating at the Meyton Cup, and I am happy to have won the 10m Air Pistol Junior Men event. My coach, Miss Melanie Sim, had a big part to play in my performance this tournament. Every training session and competition is a learning opportunity and I have, and will continue, to improve and hone my skill. This competition, like others, helps to strengthen me mentally and prepares me for bigger competitions,” said Jia En.

RESULTS

2020 H&N Cup

10m Air Rifle Women

1st – Adele Tan Qian Xiu (New National Record)

2020 Meyton Cup

10m Air Pistol Junior Men

1st – Teo Jia En

10m Air Pistol Junior Women

1st – Shirlene Hew Yun Ting