Spurling right on target

By Casey Neill
COLDSTREAM’S Alex Spurling may one day be an Olympic champion.
The 17-year-old has been taking part in American skeet clay target shooting competitions for five years, four of those as captain of the Victorian junior state team, a role given to the best performing shooter at the state titles.
Spurling won three gold medals at the 2007 state titles, held at the Melbourne Gun Club in Lilydale, and shot the highest score of all the juniors competing.
He won two gold medals at the national competition in November 2007 in Wagga Wagga, replicating his results from Sydney in 2005.
Spurling counts among his best performances a 100 per cent shot rate late last year.
Another was a round of 118 out of 119 to force a shoot-off with Tasmania’s Isaac Tasker, which he won.
Grandfather David Bell introduced him to the sport and had coached him until recently.
Spurling said he has learned all he can and is now working on what he has been taught but still has the assistance of his grandfather and other experienced shooters at the Melbourne Gun Club.
“No matter, who you shoot with, everybody helps out,” he said.
He said even in competitions shooters assist each other. Even though they’re competing, they’ll give each other advice and encouragement.
“With a lot of other sports like footy and cricket you don’t get to know the opposition, but you do with shooting,” he said.
Spurling trains for two hours twice a week, and is at the Lilydale Club from noon to 5pm most Saturdays.
“It’s challenging. I really like the challenge,” he said.
Spurling has taken part in a junior development squad program in Wagga Wagga three times.
It was there he had the opportunity to shoot with his idol, Olympic and Commonwealth Games medallist Lauren Mark, and her husband Russell.
“She was the youngest woman in America to win the national title,” he said.
“She’s won heaps of medals and she’s really nice too.”
The style and type of competition at the Olympics is different to the American Skeet he currently competes in.
Spurling said there are not a lot of grounds that offer the facilities to practice the Olympic style so he is forced to travel.
He said the Lilydale centre has the facilities to offer it, and he plans to speak to club officials about it.
The next national competition will be held in Perth in March.
Spurling said he’ll have to save up money for the trip but his parents will help out.
“They’re really supportive, they’ve been great,” he said.
The 2008 state titles will be held in Lilydale in February.