Paris Olympics 2024: Disgraced shooter Michael Diamond returns to coach against Australia in Paris
Australia banned two-time gold medallist Michael Diamond from the Paris Olympics. But the six-time Olympian is set to make a shocking return.
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Banned Australian shooter Michael Diamond is set to make a shock appearance at the Paris Olympics in a role no one expected.
Having been banned for shooting for his country, Diamond is poised to coach against his homeland after taking the Qatar job vacated by his longtime Olympic teammate Russell Mark.
Diamond declined to talk about his appointment but is expected to rejoin the Qatar team in a in Doha before guiding it through the Olympics in Paris.
Diamond’s firearms licence was revoked in 2018 after he was found guilty of drink-driving and firearms offences in Port Stephens in 2017.
He was, however, acquitted of the three firearms charges on appeal.
Diamond, who won shooting gold at the Atlanta (1996) and Sydney (2000) Games, initially hoped to compete for Australia at the Paris Olympics in July but he failed in a bid to have his firearms licence reinstated, which ruled him out of selection.
The decision disappointed some members of the shooting community who felt Diamond had done his time and had shown a commitment to turning his life around after the incident that derailed his Olympic career.
Diamond was preparing for the 2016 Rio Olympics when he was arrested under the suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
He was found to have a shotgun and ammunition in his car, while his blood alcohol reading was three times the legal limit.
The Australian Olympic Committee then declined to nominate him for the Olympics in Brazil.
While Qatar may seem an unusual fit for Diamond given his drinking charges.
It is not illegal to drink in Qatar but it is severely frowned upon in public.
Under Mark’s tutelage, the Qatar team qualified for Paris and it will now be Diamond’s job to guide the country to the Games.
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