Shooters on top of world
Members of the Cairns Rifle Club were central to Australia’s triumph at the recent World Shooting Championships in Canada. Cairns’ Steve Lazarus, Marty Lobert and Peter Carter were all in the eight-shooter national team which successfully defended the world F Open title which Australia won at the last championships in 2013. The Australian team scored an aggregate 3511 points to overhaul the Canadian team on 3506 in a comefrom-behind finish.
MEMBERS of the Cairns Rifle Club were central to Australia’s triumph at the recent World Shooting Championships in Canada.
Cairns’ Steve Lazarus, Marty Lobert and Peter Carter were all in the eight-shooter national team which successfully defended the world F Open title which Australia won at the last championships in 2013.
The Australian team scored an aggregate 3511 points to overhaul the Canadian team on 3506 in a come-from-behind finish.
The Australian vice-captain, Lobert, said it was an underdog victory for the green and gold.
“Usually a high proportion of the team comes from Queensland and 30 per cent of the team came from Far North Queensland,” Lobert said.
“Shooting sports in Australia are nowhere near as big as what they are in the United States.
“It is a massive win as we are coming from an amateur background where they have big sponsors. No nation has won this title twice or back to back.
“We are boxing well and truly above our weight.”
David McNamara, also a Far North resident, was set to captain the Australian team but was forced to pull out due to work commitments and handed the skipper duties to Brisbane’s Craig McGowan.
“David has been putting this team together for years and had some sleepless nights while we were away in Canada,” Carter said.
“He was a part of the team that won four years ago also, as we have gone back-to-back now.
“Me personally I was hoping to go over there and finish in the top 50.
“But I made it to number eight in the world.”
The world titles for long range rifle shooting using telescopic sights, which have just wrapped up at the Connaught Range in Ottawa, attracted more than 600 competitors.
The championships were shot in testing weather conditions with strong winds and some ranges having to be abandoned due to rain.