Charles Sexton

Charles Sexton took up rifle and pistol shooting during his 22 years in the Royal Air Force (RAF) and regularly represented the RAF at home and abroad in the 1930s. He was a regular member of the Great Britain team from 1960, representing them at many world and European championships. Sexton was runner-up in the British Small-Bore Rifle Championship in 1961, and in both 1963 and 1965 was the national small-bore pistol champion.

The highlight of Sexton´s shooting career was at the 1966 British Empire Commonwealth Games at Kingston, Jamaica, when he won the individual 50 metres free pistol event representing England. Two years later at the Mexico Olympics he finished 29th in the same event, and in the second round scored 96. Only Switzerland´s Ernst Stoll scored more, while the eventual gold medallist, Grigory Kosykh of Russia, was the only other competitor to match Sexton´s score.

Sexton, who was a Southampton company director at the time of the Mexico Games, was captain of the GB shooting team. He was 62-years-of-age at the time. Sexton, who reached the rank of flight-lieutenant in the RAF, enjoyed playing lawn bowls in his retirement when he also enjoyed his hobby of photography.