Following the conclusion of the 2011 ISSF World Shotgun Championships today in Belgrade, Serbia, the Australian Shooting Team now faces a crucial three month period which will decide its Olympic fate.

The Australian team was unable this week to add to the four quota places it has so far won for the 2012 London Olympic Games and now faces just one more event, the 2011 Oceania Championships, to qualify more athletes for next year.

Australia’s best performance at the world championships came from Kelly Coogan (Darwin, NT) who claimed a bronze medal in the junior women’s trap, while Catherine Skinner (Mansfield, VIC) made the final of the women’s trap before finishing fifth.

At the Oceania Championships, which will be held at the Sydney International Shooting Centre from November 26-December 1, Australia could add a maximum of 15 more places.

Australian International Shooting Limited CEO Nick Sullivan says the event could make or break the team’s Olympic campaign.

“Across all of the Olympic qualifying events this year we have had a couple of close calls and only narrowly missed out on winning quotas for London,” Sullivan said. “It has resulted in us only winning four quota places to date and means the Oceania Championships is a really important event for the team.

“At the same stage four years ago we entered the Oceania event with five quota places and we managed to secure an additional 12 during that competition.”

Sullivan added that the team needed to ensure they used the next three months wisely to prepare.

“Across the shotgun, rifle and pistol disciplines all of our athletes have an important three month period coming up,” Sullivan said. “The Australia Cup Final in Sydney at the end of October will be a valuable event to fine tune, while extra vigilance during training is also required.

“I am confident that we can enjoy a strong Oceania Championships and come close to, if not surpass, the 17 athletes that we qualified for the Beijing Games.”

Australia’s four quota places for the 2012 London Olympic Games have so far been won by Michael Diamond (Gold Coast, QLD) in the men’s trap, Lauryn Mark (Hoppers Crossing, VIC) in the women’s skeet, and Lalita Yauhleuskaya (Berwick, VIC) and Dina Aspandiyarova (Cranbourne North, VIC) in the women’s 10m air pistol.

These four athletes are not able to qualify any more quotas for Australia, and despite winning the quota places for their country, are not guaranteed nomination to the Australian Olympic Team.

Australia’s team for the 2011 Oceania Championships will be named in just over two weeks’ time, on Wednesday September 28.
 
Australian Quotas won for the 2012 London Olympic Games:
Men’s Trap x 1
Women’s Skeet x 1
Women’s 10m Air Pistol x 2

Quotas still available for Australia for the 2012 London Olympic Games:
Women’s Trap x1
Men’s Skeet x2
Men’s Trap x 1
Men’s Double Trap x 1
Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Position x 1
Men’s 50m Rifle Prone x 2
Men’s 10m Air Rifle x 1
Women’s 10m Air Rifle x 1
Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Position x 1
Women’s 25m Pistol x 1
Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol x1
Men’s 10m Air Pistol x 1
Men’s 50m Pistol x 1

Australian International Shooting Ltd.