By Nick Creely
Ambitious Berwick sport shooter Sergei Evglevski has his eyes fixed firmly on the prize.
And that prize is qualifying for the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020.
The local 22-year-old is well and truly in line to win for selection to represent Australia in the Olympics after recently winning the 25m Air Pistol at the Oceania Championships in Sydney.
Evglevski – who won silver in the same event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games – was largely untroubled to win with 30 points, with the next best, Thomas Ashmore, far behind on 22 points.
Evglevski said it was important to clinch an important result in his bid for the Olympic games, after admitting he wasn’t at the top of his game through the season.
“Leading up to it, because World Cup season for me wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be, I was really determined for this competition,” he said.
“And this basically determined whether someone from Australia can go for my event.
“I think I performed pretty well, and the final I shot really well and came out on top.
And with the strong recent result, Evglevski is now narrowing his focus on the end of February next year, when the gruelling Olympic selection trials begin.
“I’m on track with everything I need to do; I’m just following the plan, the process and just waiting on next year,” he said.
“Right now, I’m in a process of getting ready for selections, discussing it with the coaches, support staff and team, and deciding what we need to do work on.
“I’ll try and go into the selection shoot with the right mindset, and the right goals.”
Evglevski’s mother Lalita Yauhleuskaya is an Olympic champion, having won bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games in the 25m Pistol and is one of Australia’s most recognised sporting shooters.
He believes having his mother as the influence and inspiration for his career has greatly benefited his mindset, training standards and passion for the sport.
“It is really humbling and really exciting – my Mum represented the country a lot more than me,” he said.
“She’s been an amazing influence – she’s always led me in the right path, and always been disciplined with my shooting.
“She knew from a young age that I’d have a big interest in it, and she knew that everything leading up would put me in the right direction.
“I guess its one little advantage I have over other competitors.”
With preparations underway for the trials, Evglevski said that mastering the sport takes a lot of time and dedication, and firmly believes that the key to success is all about balance.
“It takes a lot of work, but it’s not just with the gun, it’s outside of that too,” he said.
“I try and do a lot of gym work, and having your life balance on track really helps, like work, social life, training, and having everything in place.
“I spend a lot of time at the range, it’s probably three hours a training session, with five to six training hours a week, so it’s a lot of work.”
The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games opens on 24 July next year, with preliminary events in some sports beginning on 22 July.
