Paralympic pressure got to me, admits Wymondham archer Kenny Allen

Wymondham archery ace Kenny Allen admits nerves got the better of him in the 1/8 eliminations on Saturday as he narrowly missed out on a London 2012 quarter-final berth.

The Taverham Archers member, who set a Paralympic record in the men's individual recurve standing ranking round on Thursday with a score of 651 points, was underwhelming against Turkey's Zafer Korkmaz – losing 6-4.

But after proving he can shoot with the best at the Royal Artillery Barracks the 42-year-old admits he's more than happy with his week's work, especially considering this is his first taste of Paralympic action.

However, despite admitting pre-Paralympics that he would not be after a podium slot, the archer's disappointment in making an early exit was hard to hide.

'The pressure probably got to me a bit being my first Paralympics,' said Allen, who came sixth in the 2011 World Championships.

'It's a bit different in the finals range than it is out in the ranking range, where I can just shoot away with no one watching.

'At the end of the day, I'm walking away with a Paralympic record in my pocket so I'm not going to throw teacups or have a hissy fit.'

Despite his exit leaving a bitter taste, Allen still has the team event to focus his mind and he fancies his chances.

Allen, whose first international competition at the 2009 Stoke Mandeville Invitational brought with it a gold medal, insists he will come out fighting in the 1/8 eliminations tomorrow.