CHRIS COTILLARD was in perfect form for the first stage of the State Presidents Cup at the South African Open Shooting Championships on Wednesday.

Cotillard started his campaign off with a perfect score of 105 plus 12 v-bulls which placed him 12th out of 189 competitors on v-bull difference. This event is the equivalent competition of the Queens at Bisley in England, one of the most prestigious competitions to win.

‘Conditions were good early on but as the morning progressed the wind picked up to make the 600m shoot challenging,’ said Cotillard. ‘Wind and mirage were fishtailing either side of zero almost every shot, meaning concentration was key to staying on top of the conditions.’

On Wednesday afternoon the wind picked up for the Municipal Cup, shot at 800m, and despite the challenging conditions Cotillard achieved a respectable 46.1, placing him 123 out of 182 entries.

His father, Michael, is still without his shooting equipment, following the baggage problems at Heathrow’s Terminal Five, but he is still continuing with borrowed equipment – shooting 98.4 in the State Presidents Cup and 40.1 in the Municipal Cup.