Today we announced the names of 54 athletes who have been selected to our new three-tiered National Squad structure.
Our National Squad now include:
- High Performance Squad - Current world-class athletes who have demonstrated their ability to regularly make finals and win medals in International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) competitions in recent years
- Performance Squad - Athletes who are regularly achieving selection to National Teams and whose international performances indicate that they are 'on track' to making finals and win medals in ISSF competitions
- Pathways Squad - Athletes who are considered capable of achieving National Team selection based largely on their performances in domestic competition (i.e. junior or senior) and demonstrated commitment to becoming a High Performance athlete.
The new squad structure replaces the former Aiming for Gold (A4G) Squad and enables us to recognise and support athletes at different stages of Shooting's performance pathway by providing improved access to coaching, development opportunities and performance support.
CEO, Luke van Kempen, said the new structure, which includes Able and Para Shooting athletes, followed an internal review last year and is in line with the Australian Institute of Sport direction for funded sports.
"We congratulate the selected athletes who will benefit significantly from access to a range of opportunities and resources that are geared towards them reaching their full performance potential," said Mr van Kempen.
"For the athletes, selection comes with an expectation of a high level of commitment and a willingness to work hard in training and competition, as well as regularly engaging with National Team coaching and support staff," he added.
"One of the most important benefit for selected athletes is the opportunity to participate in an athlete planning sessions with the National Coach and/or Pathway Manager.
"This process allows athletes to look at where they currently sit in relation to the world's best and develop an Individual Performance Plan, identifying strengths and development opportunities," he added.
Mr van Kempen said the new squad structure opens opportunities for athletes who have, or currently participate, in other non-Olympic or Paralympic disciplines.
"Under this new structure, Shooting Australia will collaborate with our Member Organisations to reach further into the pathway than ever before. We want to work with competitors earlier in their career, who have a goal to one day win Olympic or Paralympic selection, while continuing to refine the pathway through which they can pursue their goals," said Mr van Kempen.
