YEAR TO REMEMBER FOR GEORGE

It's been a year to remember for George Digweed who has added five more titles to his impressive list of career achievements.

The Hastings-born shooter won Gold in the World Sporting Championship, the European Championship and in all three Grand Prix events in 2009.

He is now a 16-time World Champion, and has more World Titles than any other World sportsman.

It was a near perfect season for Digweed, despite his disappointment at his second place finish at the season-closing FITASC Sporting World Championships in Australia.

Digweed said: "If I could have capped off the season with a result in Australia it would have been probably my best ever. I've had an amazing year and I feel confident and relaxed within my shooting and I don't see any reason why there's not another few years left in me at the top."

Digweed's guns are heading to Italy for their annual end of year service and upon their return in January, he will then turn his attention to the new season, ready to tackle any challenge that faces him.

"In any sport, the bar is being raised continually and you've got to try and move with it. I shall have to rethink a strategy for next year and look at what shoots are important and what I think I can score and benefit and take it from there."

The late finish to the season gives Digweed no time off ahead of the pheasant and game shooting season, before his attentions turn to the 2010 clay shooting season, which begins in Johannesburg in February.

"From now until the end of January, I think I've got three days off, so for us it's a busy time of the year.

"The seasons tend not to clash but they did this year because Australia couldn't run the event until the weather got better.

"Clay shooting will always come first for me because I've been lucky to achieve a huge amount within the sport and it's always nice to give something back.”

Digweed will be looking to defend his titles and add to his ever-increasing list of career milestones at the Pan-African in February, before the European Championships in Russia and the World Championships in Italy in July.

"I love the travel side of it. There’s a lot of pressure wherever I go because people expect but that's the nature of the job and it goes with the territory.

"Tiger Woods experiences the same, as does Phil Mickelson and all the cricketers. If you play sport to a good level and you travel, people expect you to perform and clay shooting is no different.