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    Bevis sets sights on gold medal

    Shooter James Bevis admits he has got his sights set on one thing and one thing only at London 2012 - Paralympic gold.

    Having been as high as No.1 in the world rankings in the build up to the Games Bevis' lofty predictions are not without foundation.

    Indeed such are his confidence he believes his greatest enemy in the battle for Paralympic gold-medal recognition is not his global rivals but the home crowd.

    Bevis is expecting a bumper fan club in the capital and with doe-eyed nieces among the distractions he's planning on keeping his eyes firmly on the Paralympic prize.

    "I only train to win," said the 36-year-old.  "I've been ranked number one in the world, so I'm only here for a gold medal. I'm not interested in anything else, it's all I strive for.

    "I have complete self-belief in my ability and I think if everything goes well for me that is what I will achieve.

    "I know I can shoot better than the majority of my opponents, if not all of them, on my day. Sometimes it's down to luck and how the day goes.

    "When your training has been for a gold medal, anything else seems like a failure and knowing that family are there is really nice.

    "But I need to have all of my preparations the same as normal. I'll be throwing my phone in the river once they're here I think, when they're in London they're on their own as I need to be focused on what I'm doing.    

    "If my niece looks at me with those loveable eyes I might have to get some security guard to come and take her away. It's things like that you can't have running through your mind."

    But, while it is gold medals that are top of the to-do list for Bevis, he also admits to another guilty pleasure that comes with being a Paralympian.

    London 2012 will be Bevis' second experience of the Games having picked up a pair of 19th-place finishes in the 10m mixed air rifle competition, standing and prone, in Beijing four years ago.

    And he admits some shiny new British gear only adds to his excitement about the home Games which kick off with the opening ceremony on Thursday.

    "Getting the kit was mad because it's something you can get really excited about," he added. "It took me nearly four years to stop wearing my kit from Beijing so it's been tough to let stuff go I think.

    "It's amazing having a Games at home and being part of that, it's hard to put into words really." 

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