This Olympic Shooting commemorative coin was part of a set released following the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. They depict 28 forms of Olympic sports. The obverse features an Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II, right-facing with tiara. It also has the legend ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 2000. The reverse shows an Olympic Shooting competitor holding his rifle and about to take aim. You can clearly see his ear defenders and goggles as well as the official Sydney 2000 Olympic logo and the five rings. This was designed by Philip Holliday and shows the denomination 5 DOLLARS.
The Olympic Shooting Tournament took place at the Sydney International Shooting Centre in Liverpool, New South Wales. China were the top team in the shooting tournament, winning eight medals in total, three of which were gold. Australia had high hopes of a good medal haul but came up short of expectations. The highlight for the home fans was the Gold medal won by Michael Diamond in the men's Trap, beating the British athlete Ian Peel. The British took revenge, however, in the Double Trap, as the reigning Olympic champion Russell Mark of Australia was narrowly beaten by Richard Faulds of GB (ABC, 2013) .
The original Olympic Games took place about 3,500 years ago but they didn't last. It was originally held during a religious festival honouring the Greek god Zeus. The Games were abolished in 393 A.D. by the Roman Emperor, Theodosius I, as he tried to suppress paganism. They restarted 1896 and were held in Athens, Greece. It was a great success. The International Olympic Committee had been formed two years earlier. The resurrection was an inspiration from Baron Pierre de Coubertin back in 1887. To be held every four years, as per Ancient Games, the Olympic Games became a great success. The first one to be held in Australia took place in Melbourne, 1956 (Sydney Olympic Games, 2010) . In 1993, Sydney was awarded the opportunity to host the 2000 Olympic Games. This was a chance for Australia to shine. And shine it did. The Sydney games broke so many records including ticket sales, attendances, transport,catering and most importantly, they finished fourth in the medal tables.