Shooting Stars

Three of Australia’s leading medal chances in shooting at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi have struck form at Australia Cup 4 in Melbourne.

Australia Cup 4, for rifle and pistol shooters, was held over the weekend and Lalita Yauhleuskaya (VIC), Dina Aspandiyarova (VIC) and Robyn Van Nus (WA) shot world class scores in their respective events.

Aspandiyarova shot a qualifying score of 388 in the women’s air pistol, before hitting 98.9 in the final to record a 5.8 point victory over her Commonwealth Games team mate Yauhleuskaya. Linda Ryan (VIC) who won gold alongside Yauhleuskaya and Aspandiyarova in the teams event at the 2010 World Championships finished in third place.

Yauhleuskaya meanwhile recorded a 589 in the qualifying round of the women’s sport pistol and backed up this score with a 197.7 in the final to comfortably record a victory. Aspandiyarova finished second, while Pam McKenzie (WA) was in third place.

In the women’s 10m air rifle, Robyn Van Nus recorded a performance qualifying score (PQS) in the qualifying round, shooting 396 out of a possible 400. Van Nus then backed up to record an excellent 102.8 in the final, to take the event over Alethea Sedgman (VIC) by 6.4 points.

WAIS athlete Van Nus capped off her weekend with another win in the women’s 3 position rifle, while fellow West Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder Tyren Vitler took out the men’s 10m air rifle.

In men’s pistol action Daniel Repacholi (VIC) returned to action after 12 months out and won the men’s 10m air pistol with a combined score after the final of 679.6.

Over the next two weeks the athletes taking part in the Commonwealth Games will finalise their training before flying out to Delhi.