Australia’s shooters have received mixed results at the first three days of competition at the 2010 International Paralympic Committee Shooting World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.

Paralympian and Queensland farmer Ashley Adams shot 586 to finish in eighth place in the R1 10m Air Rifle Standing, eight points behind winner German Josef Neumaier. Adams failed to better his recent scores from the Shooting World Cup season, where he finished 6th with 584 at the German World Cup and 11th with 579 in France.

Adam’s standing in the event has slipped since 2008, when he missed out on the bronze medal by 0.2 to Slovenia’s Franc Pinter. Two years later, Pinter has again pipped Adams to the post, finishing one place ahead of him in seventh.

Adams, who has competed at three Paralympic Games, was less on the mark in the R3 10m Air Rifle Prone, shooting 591 and placing 52nd, behind fellow Australian Libby Kosmala who finished 23rd with 591.

Leading up to the World Championships, Kosmala had finished in 5th position at the Turkish World Cup and in 12th position in Germany in the 10m Air Rifle Prone, but  her recent good form has so far failed to come to fruition at this tournament.

Adding to disappointing results, Kosmala narrowly missed a place in the top eight in her pet event, the R2 Air Rifle Standing. Finishing in 9th position, Kosmala was six shots behind the winner, Korea’s Yunri Lee - a poor result for the event’s number two seed and gold medallist at the Turkish World Cup.

In the 25m Sport Pistol event, Australia’s Steve McCormack placed 31st with 534, well behind Chinese Hedong Ni who won the event on 573.

Australian Head Coach Miro Sipek said McCormack’s results did not reflect the way he performed.

“Steve shot consistently throughout the day but an unlucky finish saw him with total of 534,” Sipek said.

McCormack will compete again today in the 50m Free Pistol along with Adams in the 50m Free Rifle 3x40.

By Rebekka Wake