Diamond back on target for more gold

By Julian Linden

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Trap shooter Michael Diamond has experienced the highs of the Olympics, with gold medals in Atlanta and Sydney, as well as the lows.

He suffered disappointment in Athens when a long legal battle affected his chances and he failed to make the final, but the 36-year-old Australian is bubbling with enthusiasm about going to Beijing for what will be his fifth Olympics.

"I am nowhere near done yet. I am still very, very happy with the sport and good within myself," Diamond told Sydney's Daily Telegraph shortly after being selected for the team.

Four years ago, Diamond's bid to join swimmer Dawn Fraser, hockey player Rechelle Hawkes and equestrian Andrew Hoy as the only Australians to win gold medals at three Olympics was derailed even before it began after a drawn-out legal battle.

The saga began a year earlier, in 2003, when Diamond was charged with assaulting his girlfriend and failing to safely store his firearms.

His shooting license was revoked and his shotguns confiscated, preventing him from competing in the first leg of the Australian Olympic trials.

Police returned his license in 2004 when Diamond, a former liquor store worker, was found not guilty of the charges but his absence from the first round of trials meant he had missed selection for Athens.

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