KUALA LUMPUR: The National Shooting Association's target for Johnathan Wong at the Paris Olympics is daunting — hit 580 points-plus to get into the eight-man final.
Ranked 83rd in the world in the men's 10m air pistol, the Melaka-shooter will have to do better than a lot of people at France's National Shooting Centre in Chateauroux.
The world's top six shooters, including Germany's Robin Walter and Italy's Paolo Monna, will be there. Johnathan's focus will have to be 100 per cent, nothing less, not a single bad shot.
But Johnathan, who qualified for the Paris Olympics on merit (after finishing fourth at the Asian Championships in South Korea last October), won't be lowering his aim for gold despite being up against such powerful opponents.
Johnathan and his coach, Firdaus Abdul Rahim, believe that it's all down to mental strength, and not about the rivals' reputations. The 31-year-old pistolero will also be mentally armed by a psychologist in his Paris mission.
Johnathan has shot at this level before; he finished 28th in the 10m pistol event and 37th in the 50m pistol event in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
He said his quest is not just about personal glory, he hopes to meet national expectations.
"I am focused on maintaining peak physical fitness and refining my skills. Analysing both my performance and my competitors' strategies will be crucial," said Johnathan before departing for France on Sunday.
Firdaus said: "The Olympics demand thorough preparation akin to theWorld Cup. We've worked tirelessly to refine Johnathan's strategies and ensure he enters with unwavering confidence.
"His consistent scores in training demonstrate his readiness for this moment."