Hunt is hoping to compete at the Commonwealth Games later this year

Suffolk archer Nicky Hunt says she is content with her seventh placed finish at the European Target Outdoor Championships in Italy.

The 25-year-old was knocked out of the compound discipline by eventual silver medallist Gladys Willems from Belgium.

She told BBC Radio Suffolk: "I don't think I can be too disappointed.

"I felt I shot fairly well. On the three arrows at each end the maximum score is 30 and I shot about 28 and 29 points an end."

She added: "Sometimes it is just luck of the draw. Gladys shot very well, she just found that special thing on the day."

There was success for Britain in the men's compound with Andrew Rikunenko taking the gold medal, which, combined with a recurve mixed team bronze, left Great Britain fifth in the overall medal rankings.

What the governing body are trying to do is create a new type of event where compounds can be entered into the Olympics British archer Nicky Hunt

"When you see one of your team-mates, who you train with, go out there and achieve it makes you think 'maybe I can do this as well'," she said.

Hunt is next in action at the second stage of the World Cup in Turkey from 7-11 June, where a good competition could leave her as high as second in the world rankings.

The Ipswich archer took silver in the first stage in Croatia but the event could prove to be important for the sport as a whole.

The Turkish round of the tournament will act as a trial for the compound discipline of the sport - featuring a 50m distance and a smaller target - in anticipation of a bid to be included in the 2016 Olympics.

"Compund and recurve shoot side-by-side in the rest of the sport, it's just the Olympics where the recurve shoot on their own," said Hunt, who shares her sporting commitments with being a physiotherapist.

"With the recurve side of the sport there's full funding, and those archers are lucky enough to be full-time.

"So what the governing body are trying to do is create a new type of event where compounds can be entered into the Olympics as a new event."

Until then Hunt is hoping to attract sponsorship to enable her to concentrate on archery full-time.

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