The Australian shotgun team has arrived in Slovenia overnight to contest the 2011 World Cup leg in Maribor.

A contingent of 14 athletes will contest the five events on offer in the Slovenian city, which is the fourth and final leg of the World Cup circuit in 2011.

Significantly, it is also the third last event the Australian team has to qualify quota places for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

1996 Olympic gold medallist Russell Mark (VIC) arrived in Slovenia early to compete at a grand prix event over the weekend where he finished in fourth place.

Mark said to get extra time on the range had been a bonus.

“This ground has not been particularly good for me over the past few years so to shoot a PQS here will do a lot for my confidence leading into the World Cup,” Mark said.

“I was very lucky to have several days training with the cream of the world’s double trap shooters and to have a good warm up competition with them.”
 
Joining Mark in the field for the men’s double trap will be fellow Victorian Nicholas Kirley, who partnered Mark on the 2010 Commonwealth Games team in New Delhi.
 
Dual Olympic gold medallist Michael Diamond (NSW) will line up in the men’s trap field along with 2004 Athens Olympic Games bronze medallist Adam Vella (VIC), and rising stars Michael McNabb (NSW) and Russell McCloy (NSW).

Diamond has featured in two of the three World Cup finals in 2011, while missing the third in a shoot-off, and will be determined to finish on the medal dais in Slovenia.
 
Australia’s women’s trap team of Laetisha Scanlan (VIC), Suzy Balogh (NSW), Catherine Skinner (VIC) and Teegan McCloy have all shown they are capable of making major finals and following a good training block in Australia will aim for a finals berth.
 
Official training commences on Friday July 8 before the women’s trap is contested on Saturday July 9, along with the opening three rounds of the men’s trap.

Australian International Shooting Limited