Another month of amazing competition and exciting announcements! Let’s recap March activities and have a look at what is coming up! Plus, some useful information and resources!
Kicking off the month, Shooting Australia in partnership with Paralympics Australia, hosted its inaugural Para Talent Transfer Camp. The development camp was held at the Australian Institute of Sport and the Canberra National Pistol Club and introduced prospective para-athletes to the world of high-performance sport shooting.
The two-day event brought together Shooting Australia’s national coaches and performance staff, with a small group of para-athletes with a diverse range of impairments. Attendees all had previous experience in high-performance sports such as, weightlifting, athletics, triathlon, cycling and archery, and were looking to explore the how such skills could translate to shooting sports.
The event offered athletes the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with both pistol and rifle disciplines, with national coaching support. The camp additionally gave athletes a chance to learn about the psychology of shooting and the strength and conditioning activities that help high-performance shooters perform their best.
The camp outlined the high-performance pathways that may be available to these athletes, as Shooting Australia begins to expand its para program ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics and beyond.
In March Shooting Australia announced the 19 athletes that have been categorised by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) for 2025. Categorised athletes are those that have been identified as having the greatest potential to contribute to Australia’s success at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in LA 2028 and beyond.
Categorised athletes are allocated to one of five tiers of categorisation, based on their current performance level and their potential to progress to podium level performances in the future. This categorisation level then informs the amount of financial and other support that that athletes will be provided by Shooting Australia and the National Institute Network, including, The Australian Institute of Sport.
Shooting Australia’s, Chief Executive Officer, Adam Sachs, highlights, “Shooting Australia is proud of the significant financial investment that it continues to make in categorised athletes, both in terms of direct funding and funding to cover the costs of athlete engagement in international competitions. Shooting Australia is committed to providing this ongoing support for its athletes that exceeds the opportunities provided by many other sports. We congratulate the 19 athletes who have been categorised for 2025.”
March also saw a major announcement from Olympian rifle shooter, Dane Sampson. After 26 years, Sampson has made the decision to retire from international competition.
A testament to his unwavering persistence and dedication to rifle shooting, Sampson made four consecutive Olympic appearances and 2 Commonwealth Games appearances, including the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, where he took home gold in the men’s 10m Air Rifle event. Sampson also remains the only Australian to ever qualify for a World Championship final in the 3 position Rifle event.
After years of continued success, Sampson has decided to step away from competition, reflecting, “Now is the right time to step away… my priorities are changing, and I would like to be able to support my fiancé and just move onto the next part of life. I’ve been doing the same thing since I was 10, So it’s a good time to do something different.” Despite his retirement, Sampson will remain involved in the world of shooting, aiding in the South Australian Sports Institute’s talent search program and providing specialty coaching to up-and-coming Australian rifle shooting athletes.
March saw the return of the Yarra Valley Shotgun Grand Prix for 2025. The event, held at the Melbourne Gun Club between the 9th and 10th, was the third and final selection event for the 2025 Junior World Cup, which will take place in Suhl, Germany this May.
VIEW FULL YVGP EVENT RESULTS – SKEET
VIEW FULL YVGP EVENT RESULTS – TRAP
The Target Rifle South Australia (TRSA) State Championships were also held this month between the 7th and 10th.
The TRSA State Titles were the final selection competitions for our junior rifle athletes vying for selection to Australia’s Junior World Cup team.
This competition was also two of the three team selection events for the 2025 World Championships. The ISSF Pistol/Rifle World Championship will be held in Egypt in November.
VIEW FULL TRSA STATE TITLES EVENT RESULTS
Adrenaline was high at the NSW ISSF Shotgun State Titles at the Sydney International Shooting Centre between the 21st and 23rd of March.
The NSW State Titles was the first selection competition for the 2025 ISSF Shotgun World Championships to be held in Greece in October.
VIEW FULL RESULTS NSW ISSF STATE TITLES RESULTS – TRAP
VIEW FULL RESULTS NSW ISSF STATE TITLES RESULTS – SKEET
The BISC Cup was the final tier 1 domestic endorsed event of the month, with pistol athletes from around the country competing at the Brisbane International Shooting Centre (BISC) between the 21st and 23rd of March.
The BISC Cup was a critical event for our pistol athletes as it was both the final selection competition for the Junior World Cup in Germany and the first selection competition for the 2025 Pistol/Rifle World Championships.
VIEW FULL BISC CUP EVENT RESULTS
Shooting Australia’s 2024 Awards presentations continued this month at the Target Rifle South Australia State Titles, with Shooting Australia’s CEO, Adam Sachs, presenting awards recognising the incredible achievements of athletes throughout 2024.
This month, awards were extended to:
· Charlotte Bland – 2024 Shooting Australia High Performance Program Junior Rifle Athlete of the Year
· Jack Rossiter – 2024 Shooting Australia High Performance Program Rifle Athlete of the Year
· Jack Rossiter, Dane Sampson & Rifle National Coach, Petr Kurka – 2024 Paris Olympic Team Acknowledgement
The Australian Team has departed for two World Cups in South America in May!
The team is supported by National Coaches Petr Kurka (Rifle) and Renae Birgan (Shotgun), and Shotgun Assistant Coach Tom Turner.
Of his role with the Australian Team, Double Trap Olympian Turner says, “I’ve been lucky enough to get this opportunity to support a great bunch of people and I feel privileged to be going away with them. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Turner reflected, “I’ve been in these positions a bit, so I can understand some of the things that people have to go through over there. At times there is a lot of pressure and that can be daunting, so hopefully I can help our team get through those issues, so we can get some great results from South America.”
What: ISSF World Cup (ARGENTINA)
Where: Buenos Aires, Argentina
When: 1-11 APR
ISSF BUENOS AIRES WORLD CUP INFORMATION & RESULTS
What: ISSF World Cup (PERU)
Where: Lima, Peru
When: 13 – 22 April
ISSF LIMA WORLD CUP INFORMATION & RESULTS
Shooting Australia will be providing live coverage of both the Peru and Argentina ISSF World Cups via the Shooting Australia Facebook page.
SHOOTING AUSTRALIA FACEBOOK PAGE
What – TRA Nationals (Tier 2)
Where – Wingfield Rifle Range, Wingfield, SA
When – 31 March – 6 April
Discipline – Rifle
Selection Overlay – ISSF Pistol/Rifle World Championships – Second selection event for prone
TRA NATIONALS EVENT INFORMATION
What – ISSF Open (Tier 2)
Where – Whiteman Park, Perth
When – 25 – 27 April
Discipline – Pistol
Selection Overlay – Nil (APS opportunity)
What: Vintage Open (Tier 2)
Where: Cessnock Pistol Club, Cessnock, NSW
When: 2 – 4 May
Discipline: Pistol
Selection Overlay: Nil (APS opportunity)
VINTAGE OPEN EVENT INFORMATION
What: Victoria State Titles Shotgun (Tier 2)
Where: Echuca Clay Target Club, Echuca West, Victoria
When: 2 – 4 May
Discipline: Shotgun
Selection Overlay: Nil (APS opportunity)
VICTORIA STATE TITLES (SHOTGUN) EVENT INFORMATION
What: Victoria State Titles – Rifle (Tier 2)
Where: Melbourne International Shooting Centre, Port Melbourne, Victoria
When: 2 – 4 May
Discipline: Rifle
Selection Overlay: Nil (APS opportunity)
VICTORIA STATE TITLES (RIFLE) EVENT INFORMATION
What: ISSF National (Tier 1)
Where: Sydndey International Shooting Centre, Cecil Park, NSW
When: 18 – 24 May
Discipline: Pistol
Selection Overlay: ISSF Pistol/Rifle World Championships – second selection event
ISSF NATIONAL EVENT INFORMATION
What: WAGC WA Selection (Tier 2)
Where: Western Australia Gun Club, Whiteman, WA
When: 24 – 25 May
Discipline: Shotgun
Selection Overlay: Nil (APS opportunity)
WAGC WA SELECTION EVENT INFORMATION
PARA NATIONAL CLASSIFCATION DAY PAGE
APPLY FOR ISSF ACADEMY COACHING COURSES
Events and Sport Development Coordinator
Shooting Australia is looking for someone to help our team plan and deliver world-class Shooting events across Australia!
Position: Events and Sport Development Coordinator
Application Closing Date: 7 April 2025
How to Apply: Click on the button below.
The Sport Development, Event and Communication Team plays a critical role in the delivery of initiatives and activities that underpin the delivery of SA’s High Performance Program, and which builds the capacity and capability of Olympic and Paralympic target shooting in Australia.
The Events and Sport Development Coordinator (ESDC) will work closely with the Sport Development, Event and Communication Manager to plan and deliver a comprehensive series of annual events including Shooting Australia’s Endorsed Domestic Event Series.
For further information and to submit an application, please visit the link below.
2025 NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION CRITERIA
NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION LEADERBOARDS
ATHLETE AVERAGE PERFORMANCE SCORES
SHOOTING AUSTRALIA TV ON YOUTUBE
Don’t forget to subscribe to the Shooting Australia TV on YouTube where you will be able to re-watch domestic event coverage, hear from athletes post competition, and more! Best of all, it is free!
