Diamond shoots through - to Athens - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Diamond shoots through - to Athens

By Jordan Baker 23/04/2004 09:40:23 PM Comments (0)

Dual Olympic shooting gold medallist Michael Diamond has won the right to defend his title in Athens.

Diamond shot 117 out of a possible 125 targets at the Athens World Cup to beat young gun Nathan Cassells by six targets.

The nominations from the Australian Shooting Association for the Olympic team are due on May 1.

Cassells has not yet indicated whether he intends to appeal against the legitimacy of the decision to allow the shoot off.

Diamond and Cassells tied at the first stage of their three-round shoot-off in March and Diamond edged ahead at the second in Cairo to claim a four target-victory.

But under the sport's complicated count-back rules, the tie in Sydney meant the winner of this shoot-off event in Athens would be the one nominated for the Australian team.

The shoot-off was arranged after a drawn-out court case robbed Diamond of months of training and the opportunity to compete at Olympic selection events.

Diamond struggled at the first round in Sydney due to his lack of practice but began to show glimpses of his old, world-beating form at the second shoot-out in Cairo.

Australian head coach Greg Chan said Cassells had taken his defeat on the chin.

"Nathan is just Nathan, he's disappointed but that's the way it is," said Chan.

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