A short command and the computer-controlled wooden tower known as the “skyscraper” spits out the first “pigeon”.
The Beretta shotgun flies to the shooter's shoulder.
Annabella Hettmer sends 24 grams of lead towards the orange disc, which is catapulted to 80 km/h.
Under the force of the shot charge, the disk dissolved in a small cloud in the sky-blue sky.
hit.
Oliver Bock
Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung for the Rheingau-Taunus district and for Wiesbaden.
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A shot of 18,000 a year, with which Annabella Hettmer prepares for the big tasks of the year: Junior European Championships in Cyprus, Junior World Championships in Croatia.
The only 16-year-old student at Wiesbaden's Humboldt-Gymnasium still has to qualify for both competitions in the skeet clay pigeon variant, which has been an Olympic sport since 1968.
But the likeable young woman is in good shape, as she just proved at the Junior World Cup in Suhl.
Long-term goal: the Olympics in 2028
Fourth place with the team and first place in mixed with Tim Maurice Krause from Eppelheim.
The good performance in Suhl brought her bonus points that should help in qualifying for the next competitions.
Her rapid career is promising, and an Olympic participation in 2028 is not out of the question.
The 3.5-kilogram 12-gauge shotgun has only been her sports tool for three years.
At the age of thirteen, she and her brother were introduced to shooting by her parents, who are both hunters.
But every beginning was difficult.
The pellets often missed the target.
The bruises in her shoulder were so painful that she had to take a break for a few months.
Some young girls would have quickly given the shooting sport the cold shoulder again.
Annabella Hettmer got back on the road to success with a new coach and changed shooting position.
And there is hardly a blue shoulder anymore.
“The older ones have better nerves”
Is the young woman a natural talent at the gun?
Annabella Hettmer evades, but admits: "Otherwise I probably wouldn't be where I am today." In fact, she regularly puts older and much more experienced competitors in their place at competitions, although she admits: "The older ones have better nerves."
In other countries, boys and girls are introduced to shooting sports much earlier: "13 years is early in Germany, but late internationally," says father Rudolf Hettmer, who does his best to support his children's shooting sports careers.
Shooting not only promotes concentration, but also eye-hand coordination, says the doctor.
What fascinates girls like Annabella Hettmer about turning a colored clay pigeon into dust, which is no longer made of clay but is made of lime and tree resin in an environmentally friendly way and is therefore called a clay pigeon?
It's the quick sense of achievement with the sports equipment and the experience of being able to improve quickly with the right attitude and technique, says Hettmer.
Sport shooting is primarily a “head thing”.
But sometimes you can distract yourself from what your opponents are doing at the shooting range.
Although she knows that a successful Sagittarius is best focused on himself.
Then Annabella Hettmer helps to listen to her favorite music to hide her surroundings.
School has to take a backseat at times
She visits the clay pigeon club in Wiesbaden-Dotzheim three times a week to shoot a few hundred targets.
There are already almost 9,000 this year.
Not a cheap sport, but the Schützenbund supports its squad as well as the club with ammunition.
The school also has to show understanding, because when Annabella Hettmer represents Germany, the lessons have to take a back seat at times.
Despite the Abitur, which is due next year.
Also because of this burden, she has so far refrained from acquiring a hunting license at the same time.
But not all schoolmates and friends understand the hobby, which has long since become a competitive sport.
Some have even encouraged them to give up.
"But most support and are proud of me," says Annabella Hettmer - and shoulders her Beretta.
A few "doves" still want to be turned to dust.