Australia’s Paralympic shooting team has made an excellent start to the 2011 season with a dominant performance at the IPC World Cup in Antalya, Turkey.

Australia’s team of six athletes walked away from the event with four gold medals and four silver medals, leaving the team on the top of the medal tally.

In the SH2 Air Standing Jason Maroney won gold with a score of 598 from 600 targets, pipping Australian team mate Bradley Mark by one point. Luke Cain scored a 594 in the same event, which was enough to lead Australia to team gold.

Mark then went one better in the SH2 Falling Targets to win the gold medal, before combining with Cain and Maroney again to win silver in the men’s team SH2 Air Prone.

11-time Paralympian Elizabeth Kosmala hit an excellent score of 599 from 600 to win silver in the SH1 Air Prone, leading Ashley Adams (597) and Darren Nicholson (598) to silver in the team’s event.

Adams rounded off his event with a silver medal in the SH1 Air Standing, completing the impressive performance from the Australian team.

The team will now travel to compete at the next World Cup event in Alicante, Spain which commences on Wednesday this week.

By David Polglase
Posted 03/05/2011