A trip to the Launceston tip set Lucas Wang on an unexpected course towards international sporting success.
Four years after a chance sighting on Mowbray’s Remount Road, the talented teenager is preparing to represent his country at a junior world championships.
“I was driving back from the tip and saw a sign on the road that said ‘pistol club’ and decided to give it a go,” he recalled.
“I rocked up one day and they had a club match on. They gave me a go and I thought it was really cool. That’s how I got into it.”
With the support of Van Diemen Pistol Club, the Tasmanian Pistol Association, Tasmanian Institute of Sport and Shooting Australia, Wang has since become a multiple state and national champion and now has his sights set on the global stage.
Shooting Australia’s 45-strong national squad for 2026 named the Launceston-born 17-year-old as a “future emerging” athlete with the potential to contribute to upcoming Olympic Games.
The International Shooting Sport Federation’s Junior World Championships in the German city of Suhl in June will be Wang’s first international competition.
“I’m so excited to represent Australia,” he said. “This has been my goal for such a long time. Every single training session has been with the goal of world championships or Olympics one day and finally I’ve made it. That one sign on the road has led to all of this.”
A student at Newstead College and previously Kings Meadows High School, Wang won the 25m rapid fire pistol junior national title in 2024, the 10m air pistol gold medal a year later and added a silver in the same event at the Brisbane International Shooting Centre in May this year.
He will contest the 10m air pistol and mixed teams events at junior worlds where he is aiming to make finals.
“I want to take that next step to be in the top eight internationally and hopefully then compete for a podium position,” he said.
“Beyond that, the ISSF hosts competitions around the world in places like China, Egypt and Azerbaijan. Hopefully, I can travel to one of those to build on my competition experience and eventually I’m hoping to make it to the Olympics whether that be 2028 or 2032. The Olympics is the ultimate goal.”
Under the guidance of Shooting Australia’s head pistol coach Vlad Galiabovitch, Wang said he loves the simplicity of shooting.
“What appealed to me most was the sheer honesty of the sport. When you make a mistake it almost feels like a slap in the face when you get the target back. It’s brutally honest and so challenging. You need to address every single issue and fix your attitude otherwise there are real consequences for your score.
“I would say about 80 per cent of the process is mental. Although you need good fitness, if you don’t have a strong mind you’re not set on your target and if you’re not focused you can lose a lot. When I am taking a shot I think of my coach telling me ‘Just do your job’ and that’s what’s given me a lot of success.”
Wang has been backed by the TIS for two years, receiving targeted support including a fitness program and sport psychology.
“Working with the TIS has been one of my greatest privileges,” he added. “They’ve given me access to a gym and a strength and conditioning coach who has helped with specific exercises for shooting. I’ve been working a lot on my fitness, especially my core and shoulders with endurance-focused exercise.”
Article by Rob Shaw