INTERVIEW WITH ANNEMARIE FORDER
Annemarie Forder was the dominant force in Australian Women’s Air Pistol for years. As a junior, she took 3rd place at the 1995 Milan World Cup, earning herself a place at the World Cup Final that year, as well as a wild car entry to the Atlanta Olympics. She has won both Commonwealth Championships and the Commonwealth Games in this event. But her biggest achievement was winning bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in front of a rabidly enthusiastic home crowd.
When did you start shooting?
I joined the pistol club eight years ago with my elder brother. I started shooting on the weekends, and then a few years ago I decided I wanted to do well so I got more serious.
Were you shooting Air Pistol when you started out?
I started shooting Air Pistol for the first two years. Then I took up Sport. But then I had a lot of elbow problems. So I stopped shooting Sport Pistol to concentrate on Air Pistol for a few years.
Did you shoot in the Atlanta Olympics?
Yes I did, I came 23rd. I thought I’d come here and hopefully do well, and I have – I’m happy with my result.
What’s your favorite practice routine?
My coach makes me do this, where you shoot in steps. You start off shooting a 37 (out of 40), then a 38, then a 39, then you’ve got to do three or four 40s, so you can get used to shooting strings of tens. If you don’t make it you’ve got to drop back down to the bottom and start again. It’s very good because it’s a challenge.
That sounds pretty neat.
Yes. I’ve just acquired a paintball gun, and that’s pretty neat too.
Does it help your air pistol?
(Laughing)I don’t know. It’s fun.
What about the mental side of the game, do you do anything special for that?
No. I used to do a lot of visualization a few years ago, but now I have my quiet time once a week If I start getting stressed my mother will tell me, “I think you need to have your quiet time for an hour or two”. I haven’t really though a lot about coming here. I thought a lot about it a few months ago and what I wanted to do, and I knew what I wanted to do and what I’ve been training for. But for the past two weeks I didn’t think about the match or anything, I just did all my training and came out on the day and had a crack at it.
Did you ever think you’d come from 5th up to 3rd?
I wanted to make the Final, and I really thought I should have made the Final, and I did that. I thought if I was close enough to get a medal I’d have a go. It wasn’t bad going in there in 5th place, I would have liked to have been a little bit closer, maybe 2 points higher so I could have a go at the gold or silver. But I was happy.
Did you have any flak over that “shit” on television? (Annemarie had one bad shot during the Final with a reaction that didn’t need a lip reader to translate).
You know I had a shoot a few years ago at the Commonwealth Games and my first shot in the Final there was an 8.6. I went in with a four point lead, and I swore a lot then and I copped a bit (of flak) over that. My friends and everybody saw it back home. So I thought the other day with the cameras there I’d watch my mouth. And I only said it once, and apparently everybody saw it. Trust the cameras to pick up the only time I said it in the Final. Oh well. It happens.
Do you have a particular sequence for taking the shot?
I don’t look at my sights at first. I look at my arm, then my hand, and then when I come into my area I pick up on my sights for a few seconds and shoot.
You try to get it away quickly?
Yes, especially during the Final. I was trying to shoot it quick, not worry about it. I try to alleviate as much pressure as I possibly can.
People were saying the light conditions on the range were a little dark. How did you find it?
Yes, we’ve been shooting on the range since the end of last year. I had a lot of trouble shooting there but they put a big white sheet behind the targets which lightened it up a bit. And I was seeing my sights fine the other day. It was a huge improvement for them to do that.
Was there much change between the regular range and the Finals Hall?
Yes. I shoot right handed with my left eye, and I normally have no blinkers, I just have my lens, so I can see a lot. I had a hat with the blinker on during the match, and I had to wear it again and put the other side down because they had these huge spotlights for the cameras and it was straight into the side of your eyes. Fortunately the hat I had on, the peak came out enough to shade me.
Did you have a chance to practice in the Finals Hall any?
No. Apparently the other day we had an opportunity to go down for five or ten minutes and have a few shots but I didn’t go, I decided I’d wait and see it on the day.
What advice would you give to a young shooter just starting out?
Stick with it. I thought about stopping last year after the World Cup because I didn’t do too well in Atlanta. My mother said if I want to go to Sydney and win, if that’s what you really want to do then do it. So I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in this sport, like any sport. Just stick with it. It’s a great sport and I love doing it. Fortunately I’m young enough to keep doing it for a while.
How old are you?
I’m 22.
Australians have done well here so far, a gold, silver and bronze.
We had two golds and a bronze in Atlanta – hopefully we can get a couple more here before it’s finished.
Those golds in Atlanta, how did that help your program here?
We got an amazing increase in funding, through the Australian Sports Commission, and we started a full time program at the Australian Institute of Sport, which has now been running for a few years. The public interest, and people joining clubs after Atlanta was great. Hopefully here again, being in our home country with us getting three medals so far it will continue. There’s a lot more kids started shooting, a lot more people getting involved. We’ve got a great facility here in Sydney and hopefully we can be using it a lot.
Tell me again about your experience running the torch and how it gave you a little bit of a boost?
I was supposed to run with it on the Gold Coast but I flew in late from Europe, so I did it in Brisbane (capital of Queensland). Susie O’Neill (Olympic gold medalist in swimming) lit my torch so I had a chance to talk with her, and she’s someone who’s phenomenal, she’s done so much in swimming and for herself. I ran in the torch relay and my family came up to watch me, and it was just a huge buzz. I was so fired up. I had to drive home for an hour after it and I didn’t stop talking the whole way, I was just so – “Yaaaah, I’m going to Sydney and I really want to win it now and I’m really going to give it everything I’ve got.” Being two months out from the Games it was a good start for a buildup. It got me really fired up. I went home and sent out emails, saying it to everybody I knew.
Tell me about your eyebrow piercing? Does that help your shooting?
Actually the guy in drug control, one of the doctors in there, told me that I shouldn’t have it, it’s really bad for me, especially being a shooter. I have one through my lip, but I took it out, and I’ve got one in my tongue as well and – my mum hopes it’s a phase I’m going through in my life and that I’ll get over it. I’m the last of eight kids, so I’ve got to be a little extreme or extravagant now and then.
How many siblings do you have?
Six brothers and a sister, and I’m the youngest.
You said your brother started you shooting?
Yes, eight years ago.
Does he still shoot?
No, he didn’t like it when I started beating him, but he works in the mines a lot now so he doesn’t have a lot of time for it.
What’s your favorite food?
I’m going through a sushi phase at the moment.
What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you while shooting?
I’m very accident prone, I hurt myself a lot. Three weeks before the European World Cups last year I broke my hand and I fractured my ankle just before the Atlanta World Cup this year. I fell over at the World Champs and really bunged up my knee. I even had a car accident three weeks ago. But it wasn’t serious, and here I am.
Congratulations on your bronze. And thanks for your time
No worries.