Five hours after standing on the dais listening to God Defend New Zealand, fullbore shooting pairs gold medallist Mike Collings was on a plane out of New Delhi.
Collings, 56, took his luggage with him to the Kadarpur range so he could make a hasty dash for Brisbane, where he is to take part in an international shoot.
His planning came a little undone when faulty targets and protests delayed the pairs event so much so that the medal ceremony was held at 6.20pm, nearly three hours later than scheduled.
His flight out was at 11pm, so at a time most international travellers would be headed for the airport, Collings was still in drug testing.
Shooting manager Tony Waymouth told NZPA it would be tight, but Collings had a couple of aces to play.
"The Indian running the range is a former army officer, who is going to help us get there on time," he said. "If he shows his medal, I'm sure he'll get there, mate."
John Snowden, the other half of the winning pair, while it would be normal to have a celebratory beer the tight flight schedule meant there had been no time for celebration.
Few words had been shared, he told NZPA.
"We didn't talk a lot, but we know what each other thinks."
With Collings from Whakatane and Snowden from Ashburton, they were now unlikely to see each other until January, at the Ballinger Belt shoot at Trentham, in Wellington.
"We've both got busy lives, we've got to get back to work," he said.
Snowden and Collings have an unbeaten record as a pair in India, having won an international shoot at Kadarphur in April.
