Natalia Rahman in training last month after earning a place in the Australian Olympic shooting squad.
By Shaun Inguanzo
SKEET shooter and Gold medal chance Natalia Rahman is battling smog-induced blood noses and asthma attacks in the lead up to her Beijing Olympic competition.
Rahman, 26, told the Star she was suffering daily blood noses and asthma due to the heavy Beijing pollution as she prepared to compete at her first Olympic Games.
“The smog is a problem for me because I have asthma,” she said.
“But not only that, the pollution is so strong that I’ve been getting blood noses from it each day.
“It does make it visibly hard to see things in the distance, but again it’s the same for all the competitors.”
But Keysborough’s greatest Olympic chance says she is confident that she can still emerge victorious.
Despite the smog she said she was feeling mentally ‘really good’ after brother Paul, 23, who will be gunning for Gold in the Men’s Skeet competition, and her parents, arrived in Beijing on Monday.
“I’m feeling really relaxed now,” Rahman said.
“I’m really eager to get out there and have a shot after watching everyone else do it for the last week in the other events, and I haven’t been able to.”
Rahman arrived in Beijing a week ago and was unable to hit the training facilities until Tuesday.
“The shooting facilities are great over here in the grounds themselves,” she said.
But she said the only impediment was the pollution and the background that makes it a little difficult for her even though it is the same for everyone.
“Compared to the rest of the world, it would be listed as one of the top 10 shooting ranges.”
Rahman will shoot her qualification round at 11am Australian time today (Thursday) with the final at 5pm Australian time, also today.
Her brother Paul Rahman will shoot on Friday and Saturday, with the final at 5pm Australian time on Saturday.
