Shooting has struggled for attention in the build up to this year's Olympic and Paralympics.

In part that is down to the fact that Britain has not won a medal in the sport since Sydney 2000.

Scanlan said here today that they would be aiming high with the hope of giving shooting a boost in the process.

"We are not coming to not win a medal," he said.

"That is what we are here to do, we know it will be tough and the rest of the world are working very hard as well.

"We'll be trying very, very hard."

Scanlan himself was a three-times Commonwealth Games medallist, but he missed out on competing at the Olympics in both Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta four years later.

He added that home advantage would help: "Just knowing that people want you to do well and hopefully will act as an advantage.

"For shooting it is something we are not used to.

"It will increase the interest – it is our shop window for future generations of shooting athletes so is very important to take the opportunity to get sports like shooting into the spotlight.

"I think probably in the United Kingdom people do not realise what a big worldwide sport [shooting] is.

"This is our big opportunity to show what we can do and can show people of all ages it is a universal sport."

Richard Faulds shows off Britain's last Olympic shooting gold from Sydney 2000

Richard Faulds was Britain's last shooting gold medallist in Sydney 12 years ago, and at 35 he will be competing at his fifth successive Games this summer in the double trap.

The barren spell since has seen shooting's funding cut.

Hoping to reverse their fortunes this summer, Britain's shooters will look to Peter Wilson, the world number-one in the double trap, as probably their best hope of a medal at the Olympics.

"Peter's shooting very well, we are hopeful but it is still going to be tough," added Scanlan.

"We are going to prepare properly.

"[We will] use the home advantage as best we can, maybe the shotgun will be better suited to large crowds, so Pete has every chance."

Although its profile in Britain is not so big, shooting is one of the sports with the largest number of athletes in London.

A record 390 athletes, the largest number for the shooting in its Olympic history, from 108 countries, will take part in London.

Shooting will also provide the first medal of the Games in the women's 10-metre air rifle final at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich on Saturday morning (July 28).

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