By Natasha Fujimoto
INTRODUCED to target clay shooting at a young age by his sporting grandfather, 21-year-old Xavier Russell from Mooroopna has had a stellar career.
Beginning at the tender age of 12, the young Xavier soon began accumulating a swag of national and international titles, developing his marksmanship with natural talent and deft dedication.
Attaining the Junior National Championship title in 2018 from the Australian Clay Target Association (ACTA), Xavier went on to win titles around the world, competing in various disciplines while also being team selected for the World Championships in 2019.
Claiming the ACTA Junior title for a second time in 2020 at the grand prix event, Xavier was inducted into the Greater Shepparton City Council’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.
On a meteoric rise from the start, 2022 was Xavier’s year to reach the pinnacle of his craft. After taking out the honours in the FITASC sporting world championships (the formula one of clay shooting) in Italy and notching up competition points in Oceania and Thailand, Xavier was proclaimed the world’s Number One Junior in Clay Target Shooting by the year’s end.
Competing for prize money (a rarity in the sport) at the Fujairah Mountain Shooting Championships in Dubai earlier this year, Xavier again demonstrated his calibre in the sport, finishing third in the junior category amongst a sizeable, international field.
Recently entering his first open competition in Australia, Xavier said, “Soon I’ll be heading off to England and Hungary to compete, where there will be three world titles up for grabs in three weeks.
“I know it may take some time, but it is my goal to win a world title down the track.”
