'Mankini' Mark wins in Perth

Monday, 21 May 2012

VIS scholarship holder Russell Mark put an interesting week behind him to win the Australia Cup competition in Perth on Friday. The veteran double trap shooter had an emphatic victory, winning by a massive 20 points from his nearest rival.

Early last week the VIS scholarship holder, who won double trap gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games and silver in Sydney, pledged to wear a lime-green mankini at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics if Carlton lost to St Kilda in the AFL. The Blues then went down to the Saints by 24 points and his losing bet then went viral on the internet worldwide!

The London Games will be Marks’ sixth Olympics and he is a chance to be named as flag bearer. ‘Imagine the flag bearer out in front of our team in a mankini - and a big, butch shooter at that,’ said an Australian Olympic Committee spokesman!

In other shooting news, Australia’s Paralympic Shooting Team has enjoyed a good start to the 2012 international season, winning two bronze medals in Hanover, Germany over the weekend.

VIS EAD athletes Jason Maroney, Luke Cain and Natalie Smith all competed in Hanover, all achieving top ten finishes in the quality field.

The Australian team will now return home before preparing for their next event, which is the IPC World Cup in London from 1-5 July.