Young Queensland shooter Paul Adams has produced the standout performance of Australia Cup 4 after winning the men’s skeet on Sunday afternoon in Perth.

The 19-year-old Brisbane resident scored a new personal best of 122 targets from 125 over the five qualifying rounds, before hitting a clean 25 targets in the final to win the title.

Adams, who made his debut for the Australian team on the World Cup circuit earlier this year, beat his old personal best by two targets and secured an important Performance Qualifying Score (PQS), a benchmark score that is ultimately crucial in attempting to win Olympic nomination for next year.

After opening rounds of 23 and 24, Adams shot three clean rounds of 25, completing his sublime performance with a perfect final to win the event on an overall total of 147, nine targets clear of Keith Ferguson (VIC), with Clive Barton (NSW) third.

Adams, who shot 100 targets straight for the first time in his fledgling career, said everything felt great across the weekend.

“I’m really stoked with shooting a 122 and it is a big personal best which makes it even better,” Adams said. “Shooting a 25 in a final really caps it off and I’m really happy with how I performed.

“After the first two rounds I needed to pull my head in a bit and it worked.”

2004 Athens Olympic bronze medallist Adam Vella meanwhile produced an excellent performance of his own to win the men’s trap by three targets.

Vella shot rounds of 24, 25, 22, 25 and 25 for a total of 121 in his five qualifying rounds, before hitting 20 in the final to finish on an overall score of 141. The Victorian finished three targets clear of Daniel Di Pietro (VIC) and Nidal Asmar (VIC), with Di Pietro claiming second place after a shoot-off.

Vella, whose qualification rounds of 121 also gave him a PQS, said that had been his main aim for the weekend.

“I am really pleased that I was able to come out and get the PQS,” Vella said. “I made it tough for myself but managed to hit my last 50 targets which was enough in the end.

“It gives me a good boost ahead of the world championships where the scores are going to be high and a strong performance will be required.”

The 2011 ISSF World Championships will be held in Belgrade, Serbia from September 5-13. Only one Olympic quota place in each of the five events (men’s trap, men’s skeet, men’s double trap, women’s trap and women’s skeet) will be available to win.

The Australia team will depart for Serbia on August 31, with the men’s trap the first event to be contested on September 5/6.

Australian International Shooting Ltd