Michael Babb

{{Infobox sportsperson

| headercolor = #d09df2

| name = Michael Babb

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption =

| fullname = Michael Babb

| nickname =

| nationality = {{GBR2}}

| residence =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|10|14|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Farnborough, Kent,
England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{height|m=1.73|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|125|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}

| website =

| country =

| sport = Shooting

| event = 50 m rifle prone (FR60PR)

| club = Appleton Rifle Club

| coach = Kimmo Yli-Jaskari

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{ENG}}}}

{{MedalCountry|{{GBR2}}}}

| show-medals = yes

}}

Michael Babb (born 14 October 1963 in Farnborough, Kent) is a British sport shooter.{{cite sports-reference|title = Michael Babb|url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ba/michael-babb-1.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418025508/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ba/michael-babb-1.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 18 April 2020|access-date = 25 August 2015}} He has competed for Team GB in small-bore rifle prone at two Olympics (2000 and 2004), and has been close to an Olympic medal in 2004, finishing in seventh position. Apart from his Olympic career, Babb has won a total of seven medals in a major international competition, including two silvers at the Commonwealth Games (2002 and 2006).{{cite web|title=ISSF Profile – Michael Babb|url=http://www.issf-sports.org/shooters/shooter.ashx?personissfid=SHGBRM1410196301|publisher=ISSF|accessdate=18 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324083900/http://www.issf-sports.org/shooters/shooter.ashx?personissfid=SHGBRM1410196301|archive-date=24 March 2017|url-status=live}} Throughout his sporting career, Babb trains full-time under assistant head coach Kimmo Yli-Jaskari of the national team, while he shoots at Appleton Rifle Club in Warrington.{{cite news|title=Beijing 2008: Egington becomes Warrington's most successful Olympian|url=http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sport/3600775.BEIJING_2008__Egington_becomes_Warrington_s_most_successful_Olympian/|work=Warrington Guardian|date=17 August 2008|accessdate=23 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304102023/http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sport/3600775.BEIJING_2008__Egington_becomes_Warrington_s_most_successful_Olympian/|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=live}}

Babb began shooting small-bore rifle at the age of 14, and quickly progressed to the British Junior Training Squad that culminated him in a runner-up finish at the European Championships in 1983. As medals and records followed, Babb attained a reserve position for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, but his marksmanship prominence did not occur until 1999, when he won a silver in rifle prone at the European Championships in Bordeaux, France. This result earned him an Olympic place for Team GB on his debut at Sydney 2000, where he failed to qualify for the final in the 50 m rifle prone, after finishing in a five-way tie for twenty-fifth place with 592 points.{{cite web|title=Sydney 2000: Shooting – Men's 50m Rifle Prone|url=http://library.la84.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2000/Masters/sh/SHresults.pdf|work=Sydney 2000|publisher=LA84 Foundation|pages=49–51|accessdate=29 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402094638/http://library.la84.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2000/Masters/sh/SHresults.pdf|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|title=Sweden's Edman a Narrow Winner|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-sep-21-ss-24638-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|date=21 September 2000|access-date=25 August 2015}}

In 2002, Babb was able to back up his feat from the Olympics when England hosted the Commonwealth Games at Manchester. There, he pocketed a silver medal in his signature event with a score of 699.0, losing the title to Australia's Timothy Lowndes by less than a point.{{cite news|title=Teenager takes trap title|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/commonwealthgames2002/hi/other_sports/shooting/newsid_2166000/2166387.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=1 August 2002|accessdate=23 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080408193202/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/commonwealthgames2002/hi/other_sports/shooting/newsid_2166000/2166387.stm|archive-date=8 April 2008|url-status=live}} Babb also teamed up with Neil Day to dominate the field in the rifle prone pairs, recording a first-place combined score at 1189 points.{{cite news|first=Michael|last=Hughes|title=Babb and Day on target for England|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2002/jul/29/commonwealthgames2002.commonwealthgames6|work=The Guardian|date=29 July 2002|accessdate=23 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140909172347/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2002/jul/29/commonwealthgames2002.commonwealthgames6|archive-date=9 September 2014|url-status=live}} On that same season, Babb won his first ever individual gold at the ISSF World Cup meet in Milan, Italy with a brilliant 700.7, securing him an Olympic berth for Britain at his second Games.{{cite web|title=Shooting 2004 Olympic Qualification |url=http://www.majority-sport.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/home/msp/pages/docs/OQ04/Shooting_OQ_v2.pdf |publisher=Majority Sports |page=10 |accessdate=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722132244/http://www.majority-sport.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/home/msp/pages/docs/OQ04/Shooting_OQ_v2.pdf |archivedate=22 July 2015 }}{{cite news|title=Britain's shooting stars|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics_2004/shooting/3815123.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=29 June 2004|accessdate=25 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307083610/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics_2004/shooting/3815123.stm|archive-date=7 March 2016|url-status=dead}}

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Babb qualified for his second British team in the men's 50 m rifle prone. Clearly an Olympic medal hopeful, Babb shot 595 out of a possible 600 to grab the sixth seed from the prelims, before ruling out of his contention to seventh in the eight-man final round with 101.8 points for a total of 696.8.{{cite web|title=Shooting: Men's 50m Rifle Prone Final|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/shooting/results/3531758.stm|work=Athens 2004|publisher=BBC Sport|date=15 August 2004|accessdate=31 January 2013}}{{cite news|first=Mike|last=Adamson|title=Olympics: as it happens|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2004/aug/20/athensolympics2004.olympicgames18|work=The Guardian|date=20 August 2004|accessdate=23 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305071301/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2004/aug/20/athensolympics2004.olympicgames18|archive-date=5 March 2016|url-status=live}}

Shortly after the Olympics, Babb won a silver medal in the rifle prone at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne with a score of 696.2, repeating his effort at Manchester four years earlier.{{cite news|title=More success for British shooters|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/commonwealth_games/4831584.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=22 March 2006|accessdate=25 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061111123051/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/commonwealth_games/4831584.stm|archive-date=11 November 2006|url-status=live}} With Chris Hector, he won Gold in the Men's Prone Pairs.{{cite news |author1=Simon Hart |title=ROUND-UP: HECTOR AND BABB ARE GOLDEN SHOTS |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/753319577 |access-date=28 December 2023 |work=Sunday Telegraph |date=19 March 2006 |page=5 |publisher=Telegraph Media Group |language=en-gb |format=Print |issn=9976-1874}}{{cite news |title=Game in brief - Home fires burning |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/722983967 |access-date=28 December 2023 |work=The Independent |date=19 March 2006 |page=72 |language=en-gb |issn=1741-9743 |quote=Chris Hector and Mike Babb took the first of England's five gold medals yesterday as they won the men's 50m prone pairs. In the women's equivalent, Scotland took gold through Sheena Sharp and Susan Jackson, who edged England's Sharon Lee and Helen Spittles.}}