Adam Vella has one eye on the London Olympics. Inset, Vella shooting in Sydney last week. 00307
By Liam Twomey
FOR Keilor resident Adam Vella, the Australia Cup shooting event held in Sydney last week went perfectly to plan.
The 40-year-old shot his way to a gold medal after a come-from-behind victory in the final against fellow Victorian Brett Dunstan.
He now turns his attention to the Oceanic Championships, which will have major repercussions for the Australian Olympic team heading into next year’s London Olympics.
Vella competes in the men’s trap event which currently will only be sending one competitor to London.
If an Australian can win the Oceanic Championships in Sydney that will be enough to qualify a second competitor.
“This is our last opportunity to win those quotas. If we don’t win them in Sydney next month we run the risk of only sending a small team to the games. It is very important,” Vella said.
“We are shooting as a team trying to win the quota as a country so regardless of who wins the quota from Australia, we just need to win it. Then we can go through the right selection process.”
Vella said he tried to place as much pressure on himself as possible at the Australia Cup in an effort to simulate what he will be forced to deal with next month. He also got a firsthand look at some of his competition from New Zealand and Fiji.
“I was wanting to gauge how they performed and they performed OK as well. If the weekend we just had is any indication it’s going to be a tight struggle,” Vella said.
“If we don’t win that quota then we have only got one position and everyone will be fighting for that one position. We need to get at least two to get as many people in as we can.”
Should only one position be available, Vella will be tough to beat out of the Australian shooters after he posted a great year, finishing 11th at the world championships.
“I didn’t pull a medal out of a World Cup or World Event this year but I shot some good scores and I feel myself ramping up to the end of the year which is what I want to do,” he said.
Five-time Olympian and Hoppers Crossing resident Russell Mark walked out of the Australia Cup with another great performance, finishing second in the men’s double trap.
The Olympic gold medallist came home with a late surge but it wasn’t enough to top fellow Victorian team mate Craig Trembath.
Australia has not yet qualified for a quota place in the men’s double trap for the London Olympics.
The only remaining chance to qualify will come at this year’s Oceania Championships.
