SHOOTING STARS HEADLINE AUSTRALIAN TEAM FOR DELHI
Commonwealth Games, July 8: A star-studded line-up of Olympic and Commonwealth Games champions including Michael Diamond and Russell Mark will spearhead the 30-strong Australian shooting team at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games in October.
Selected to compete at his fourth Commonwealth Games, 38-year-old Diamond will be chasing his third individual trap gold medal following victories in Kuala Lumper (1998) and Manchester (2002).
In Manchester and Melbourne he also combined with Adam Vella to win the pairs, the duo returning to defend their title in Delhi.
Joining Diamond and Mark is 50m rifle (prone position) 2008 Olympic bronze medallist Warren Potent, who will line up to compete in his third Commonwealth Games.
The women will be led by pistol competitors Lalita Yauhleuskaya and Dina Aspandiyarova.
Originally hailing from Belarus, Yauhleuskaya competed for her newly adopted country at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester where she won three gold and a bronze. Four years later in 2006 she won three gold and a silver medal as well as setting a new Commonwealth Games record for the 10m air pistol.
Kazakhstan-born Aspandiyarova, who placed sixth at the Sydney Olympics and also competed in Beijing, is expected to be a force in the women's air pistol.
The youngest member of the team is 15-year-old Edwin Gouw who will make his debut in the men's air rifle event, whilst at the other end of the scale, dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist Michelangelo Giustiniano is the oldest at 58 years.
Victorian nuclear medicine technologist Bruce Quick, who landed his first gold medal at the 1990 Auckland Games and has won an impressive 13 Commonwealth Games medals, will line up in his fifth Games.
Along with Quick, David Moore will also bring plenty of experience to the range. Lining up for his fourth Commonwealth Games campaign, the pistol competitor will be aiming to add to his collection of six Commonwealth Games medals.
Shooting was first included on the Games program in 1966, and with the exception of the first Edinburgh Games in 1970, has remained on the program ever since.
In all, 36 gold medals will be up for grabs in Delhi across the four disciplines - clay target, pistol, small bore/air rifle and fullbore.
The shooting competition at the Games will be conducted at two different venues, the clay target (October 3 - 10), pistol and small bore (October 2 - 10) at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range, and the full bore (October 6 - 10) at the CRPF campus in Kadarpur.
Australia has enjoyed plenty of success in shooting at the Commonwealth Games over the years, however Australian shooting section manager Nick Sullivan believes
the host nation India will to be prominent on the medal tally at their home Games.
"The team nominated to the ACGA will face tough opposition from India, Malaysia, Singapore, Canada and the various United Kingdom countries particularly in the rifle and pistol events, with India expected to dominate," said Sullivan.
"Clearly the team is a combination of experienced and new athletes which will provide a stepping stone to the next Games whilst still offering a strong team in India.
"Our major hopes lie with the more experienced in-form competitors of Diamond, Vella, Barton, Potent, Aspandiyarova and Yauhleuskaya. The fullbore rifle team is also a fancied chance to finish in the medals."
Australian Commonwealth Games CEO Perry Crosswhite said the expectations for the shooting team are high.
"Traditionally our shooters are our third highest medal winners in the Australian team behind swimming and athletics."
"When you look at the credentials of the team, it is fair to expect a strong performance again," Crosswhite said.
2010 Australian Commonwealth Games shooting team
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Shotgun |
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Adam |
Vella |
Men Trap |
VIC |
1971 |
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Michael |
Diamond |
Men Trap |
NSW |
1972 |
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Stacy |
Roiall |
Women Trap |
VIC |
1977 |
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Laetisha |
Scanlan |
Women Trap |
VIC |
1990 |
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Russell |
Mark |
Double Trap |
VIC |
1964 |
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Nicholas |
Kirley |
Double Trap |
VIC |
1989 |
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Anthony |
Sottosanti |
Men Skeet |
VIC |
1990 |
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Clive |
Barton |
Men Skeet |
NSW |
1971 |
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Rifle |
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Robyn |
Van Nus |
Women 3P & Air |
NSW |
1982 |
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Alethea |
Sedgman |
Women 3P & Air |
VIC |
1994 |
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Susannah |
Smith |
Women Prone |
NSW |
1979 |
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Deborah |
Lowe |
Women Prone |
SA |
1969 |
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Warren |
Potent |
Men Prone |
NSW |
1962 |
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David |
Clifton |
Men Prone |
NSW |
1961 |
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Edwin |
Gouw |
Men Air |
SING |
1995 |
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Tyren |
Vitler |
Men Air |
WA |
1989 |
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Ben |
Burge |
Men 3P |
VIC |
1980 |
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William |
Godward |
Men 3P |
SA |
1984 |
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Pistol |
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Dina |
Aspandiyarova |
Women Air |
VIC |
1976 |
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Pamela |
Mckenzie |
Women Air |
WA |
1962 |
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Lalita |
Yauhleuskaya |
Women Sport |
VIC |
1963 |
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Linda |
Ryan |
Women Sport |
VIC |
1966 |
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David |
Moore |
50m, Centre & Standard |
NSW |
1953 |
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Bruce |
Quick |
50m & Rapid |
VIC |
1960 |
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Daniel |
Repacholi |
Men Air |
NSW |
1982 |
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Christopher |
Roberts |
Men Air & Standard |
VIC |
1967 |
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Michelangelo |
Giustiniano |
Centrefire |
WA |
1952 |
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David |
Chapman |
Rapid |
SA |
1992 |
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Fullbore |
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James |
Corbett |
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VIC |
1959 |
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Geoff |
Grenfell |
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VIC |
1960 |
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Press release issued by ACGA