Australian Clay Target Association logo

Russell Mark

Russell Mark Birth year:  
1964
ACTA Club:  
 
Preferred Discipline:  
 
Age Started Clay Target Shooting:  
 
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Shooting Achievements:

Year inducted into the ACTA Hall of Fame: 2009

Born 25 February 1964 in Hoppers Crossing, Victoria, Australia. 

Olympic Games
Olympic Gold medal - 1996 Atlanta in Double Trap
Olympic Silver medal - 2000 Sydney in Double Trap
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal - 2006 Melboburne in Double Trap
Bronze medal - 2010 Delhi in Double Trap

Russell has competed at six Olympic Games 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008 and 2012. With his win in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, Russell became the first shotgun shooter in the history of the sport to win all four of the worlds major individual titles: World Cup, World Cup Final, World Championship and Olympic Games. After the Sydney Olympics in 2000, he completed the set of silver medals in all four majors as well.

Russell is a dual World individual Champion (1994, 1994) and dual World team Champion (1998, 1999). He won individual World Cup gold medals in Los Angeles, USA (1991) this was the first ever World cup individual gold medal by an Australian in any shooting discipline, Lonato, Italy (1992), Munich, Germany (1994), Lima, Peru (1999), Sydney, Australia (2000) and Perth, Australia (2003). At the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne he won the gold medal in the men's Double Trap.

In August 2007, in Munich, Germany, the International Shooting Sports Federation inducted him into its Hall of Fame as the greatest Double Trap shooter of all time. In 1997 Russell was honoured with the Order of Australia medal for his services to sport.

As well as Russell's six Olympic appearances he has also contested a total of six Commonwealth Games 1990, 1994, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014. He competed in the open individual ISSF World Championships on 22 occasions. This is a record for any Australian shotgun athlete. Russell retired from international competition at the 2014 ISSF World Championship in Spain.

Throughout Russell's shooting career, his achievements are extensive and just to name a few, he was the first to achieve a break over 1,000 targets in September 1992 at Tamworth, NSW. He finished the competition with 1177 hits in a row breaking the Australian record set by himself in January 1992 of 859 targets. In 1997 he won the men's Double Trap World Championship in Peru with a new World Record. Russell is also a well known professional coach.

When Russell was inducted into the Australian Clay Target Association's Trap Hall of Fame, he was the youngest ever inductee at the age of 45 years.

Other Interests:  
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September 2025 CTSN

On the cover: Mitchell Iles with son Leo after winning the Overall High Gun at the 2025 NT State Trap Carnival in July.

Inside this month's edition

ACTA Chairman's Report
Bendigo – Goldfields Classic and Harcourt Cup Challenge
Winding Back the Clock – Harcourt versus Huntly
What’s Happening in the VCTA
46th Central Victorian Grand Prix – Maryborough
Port Denison Two Day Annual
Corporate Overview – Green Range
Cowra Gun Club 70th Anniversary
Ode from Phantom
ACTA Compak Sporting – Bendigo
‘Around the Traps’ Shooting in Tasmania
Top End Gun Club ACTA Compak Referee Course
Psychological Skills for Shooting
Atherton Clay Target Club Young Guns
Waratah Notes
Break Badges
Competition Results: SACTA, QCTA , TCTA, VCTA, WACTA, NSWCTA
Competition Over Five Events at Burdekin CTC
Collecting Rare ACTA Memorabilia
Victorians Win WilkyWollock Cross-Border Challenge
Another Civilised Day at Bega
ACTA New Members
Shoot Calendar
From Our Archives


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This month's CTSN

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