Lina Jones (née Bendaraviciute; born 13 January 1968) is a British sports shooter. As of 2023, she has won the British Prone Championship three times, including back-to-back wins in 2022 and 2023. She has represented England at two Commonwealth Games. She represented Great Britain at the 2014 ISSF World Championships and 2015 European Shooting Championships.
![]() Lina Jones (centre) after winning the 2022 British Prone Championship | |
Personal information | |
---|---|
Birth name | Lina Bendaraviciute |
Citizenship | British |
Born | Kaunas, Lithuania | January 13, 1968
Occupation | Interpreter |
Height | 162 cm (5 ft 4 in) |
Weight | 62 kg (137 lb) |
Spouse | Peter Jones |
Sport | |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sport | Shooting |
Event | 50-metre rifle prone |
Club | Bookham Rifle Club |
Coached by | Michael Babb |
Early life
editLina started shooting at the age of eight with a rifle club in her hometown of Kaunas, Lithuania.[1] In the run up to the 1980 Moscow Olympics, Lithuania hosted some events of the Spartakiad and a world-class range was built close to her home. In 1986 she was awarded Master of Sport of the Soviet Union and studied sport shooting and physical education at university.[1]
Following Lithuanian independence in 1991, Lina met an English shooter John Miller, who was visiting Lithuania to shoot. Miller invited Lina to shoot at the British Small-bore Championships at Bisley. She later moved to the UK to work, meeting her future husband Peter Jones. The couple married in 1993.[1]
Shooting career
editBetween 1986 and 1991 Jones became Lithuanian women's champion in 50-metre prone rifle, 50-metre three-position rifle and 10-metre air rifle.[1]
In 2012 Jones was selected as a reserve for the British team travelling to the 2013 Pershing Match.[2]
Jones represented Great Britain at the 2014 ISSF World Shooting Championships in Granada, where she placed 28th and set a new British Women's record in the 50m Prone Rifle event.
Jones was selected to represent England in the Women's Prone Rifle event at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games.[3][4][5] She qualified for the finals at both Games, finishing fifth in 2014[6] and fourth in 2018.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Lyn Luxton (Autumn 2022). "Meditation with a score". On Target (824). National Small-bore Rifle Association: 18–19.
- ^ "2013 Pershing Team Decided". nsra.co.uk. National Small-bore Rifle Association. 2012. Archived from the original on 17 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ "Shooting | Athlete Profile: Lina Jones". Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Archived from the original on 19 May 2022.
- ^ Gary Anderson (22 April 2014). "English shooter Gault targets Commonwealth Games medals record at Glasgow 2014". insidethegames. Dunsar Media Company. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ "Lina Jones | England Shooting Team | Team England". Team England. Commonwealth Games England. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020.
- ^ "Shooting: Women's 50m rifle prone results". BBC Sport. 28 July 2014. Archived from the original on 17 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ "Commonwealth Games: Shooting – Women's 50m Rifle Prone". BBC Sport. 12 April 2018. Archived from the original on 17 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.