Olympic shooting champion Russell Mark appointed India’s trap team coach until Paris 2024
Aussie Russell Mark had famously guided Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore to the silver medal at Athens 2004.
Legendary Australian Olympic champion shooter Russell Mark has been appointed as a trap coach of the Indian shooting team by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).
Russell Mark has been offered a contract till Paris 2024 Olympics and will be subject to annual assessment, reports the Times of India.
However, this is not the first time Russell Mark, a gold medallist at Atlanta 1996 and a silver winner at Sydney 2000 in double trap, will be coaching the Indian shooters.
The six-time Olympian, was the personal coach of Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who won the Olympic silver medal at Athens 2004. Russell Mark also helped Ronjan Sodhi reach the world No. 1 rank in 2011 and clinch two ISSF World Cup gold medals.
The appointment of such a high-profile trap coach comes against the backdrop of Indian trap shooters failing to qualify for last year’s Tokyo Olympics.
Despite the recent success in the pistol and rifle events, India’s shotgun shooters have not been able to match the success of Ronjan Sodhi or Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.
At the three ISSF Shotgun World Cups held in 2022 so far, India’s shotgun shooters have failed to bag individual medals. The men’s trap teams, meanwhile, have won two silver and a bronze.
Russell’s next challenge as the national trap coach will be the ISSF Shotgun World Cup to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan from May 27.