Russell Mark refutes Eddie McGuire's "soft porn" smear against wife Lauryn Mark

Controversy becoming too much for Olympic shooter Lauryn Mark

Paul Kent in London
The Daily Telegraph
July 24, 201212:00AM

LAURYN Mark, frustrated and running out of time, broke down after her first practice shoot in London.

It came just hours after she read Eddie McGuire's column accusing her of indulging in "soft porn".

McGuire also criticised husband Russell Mark over his fight with Shooting Australia after he was denied permission to room with his wife during the Games.

Then too many missed shots on the range to top it off, and it all unravelled.

"I'm sorry," a weeping Lauryn said. "Can we do this in 10 minutes?"

She barely got the words out.

Russell Mark refutes McGuire's "soft porn" allegation.

Ten minutes later she was back, apologising, and saying her frustration was the result of the looming Olympic deadline and poor form.

"You can do all the hard work and when things don't go according to plan you start panicking a bit," she said.

She was also dealing with McGuire's comments after she appeared in a bikini spread in this month's Zoo Magazine.

"I wasn't exactly impressed with the article," she said.

"I consider him a person that I have always thought a lot of and I respect his opinion and, probably, most of the Australian public feels the same.

"To have him write and article that didn't depict us in a positive light is a little bit hurtful. I just hope he understands that we do dedicate ourselves a lot to our sport and because we have an opinion or talk about our sport we're not bad people."

Russell Mark is keen to distance himself from the controversy - "I lost that battle, didn't I," he quipped - but also expressed his disappointment with McGuire's comments.

"I'm a bit disappointed in Eddie," he said.

"I really feel sorry for Lauryn. He called her a soft actress or something, that's bit of a low blow."

McGuire wrote: "(Russell Mark's) American-born Olympian wife, Lauryn, posed for the Zoo Magazine in what sounds like a soft-porn photo shoot."

Mark said he was disappointed his argument pointing out gay couples were not prevented from rooming together, yet married couple were, was portrayed as an attack on gay people.

Diver Matthew Mitcham, reigning gold medallist in the 10m platform dive, is Australia's only openly gay Olympic athlete.

"I was very sad that whole issue got thrown up as an anti-gay comment," he said.

"I spoke to Matty Mitcham. I like Matty, because I didn't want him to get the wrong idea.

"It was a gender-based argument, it's not so much that there's many couples here who are gay athletes.

"I didn't mean to offend."

Mark tried to overturn the Australian Olympic Committee's refusal to allow him to room with his wife after they were told rooms were being divided along gender lines.

It also emerged yesterday that after so much damaging debate, Mark's roommate Michael Diamond is yet to arrive in the village, due in next week.

Asked if that allowed Lauryn to stay in his room, Mark laughed and replied: "Michael gets here on the 31st."

Which, it was pointed out, left plenty of nights for Lauryn to stay in his room.

"Michael gets here on the 31st," he laughed again.

I like McGuire but what a low stupid thing to say about Lauryn Mark, I hope she can sue the Arse Clown from here to breakfast time.

If your Gay it's OK if your a Heterosexual Married Couple there is no room at the Olympic Village Inn

Cruel and Unusual Punishment inflicted upon Australian Olympian by the Australian Olympic Committee

If your Gay it's OK if your a Heterosexual Married Couple there is no room at the Olympic Village Inn

Practising Heterosexual Married Couples not welcome at Australian Olympic Athletes Village

Aussie shooter furious after 'gay' discrimination


Yahoo!7
July 16, 2012, 10:54 am


Australian Olympic shooter Russell Mark is fuming after learning that gay couples will be allowed to share beds at the London Games while he will be prevented from rooming with his wife.
Russell and wife Lauryn were told by Australian chef de mission Nick Green that if they wanted to share accommodation they would have to leave the Olympic village and rent a hotel.

Mark told the Herald Sun that he felt discriminated against for being in a heterosexual relationship.


"The stupid part of this, which I have argued to them, is that there are tons of gay couples on the Olympic team who will be rooming together so we are being discriminated against because we are heterosexual." Mark said.


"Every couple, whether they are married or de facto should have the AOC trying to bend over backwards to accommodate their needs.


"They are pissed with my stance on sleeping tablets and what pissed them more than anything else is the photo shoot.


Mark recently spoke out against the ban on athletes using sleeping pills at the London Games, claiming that such a ban would negatively affect Australia's medal tally. Lauryn Mark appears in a photo shoot for Zoo magazine shouldering her shot-gun while wearing a skimpy green and gold bikini.


Lauryn Mark backed up her husband's claims of unfair treatment by the AOC, stating that, "There are a lot of same sex couples and its OK to be partners with someone of the same sex but if you are heterosexual you are penalised."

Cruel and Unusual Punishment inflicted upon Australian Olympian by the Australian Olympic Committee

Can you imagine the outrage if a Homosexual Couple were told they could not cohabit at the Olympic Games Athletes Village.
It's unbelievable that Heterosexual couples are told that only Homosexual couples living arrangements are catered for.

Cruel and Unusual Punishment inflicted upon Australian Olympian by the Australian Olympic Committee

Russell Mark takes aim at Australian officials after ban to stop him rooming with wife at London Olympics


Ben English
The Daily Telegraph
July 13, 201212:00AM


OLYMPIC gold medallist Russell Mark last night fired off an extraordinary broadside at Australian officials after he was banned from rooming with his fellow Olympian wife at the London Games.

Mark, a one-time gold medallist heading to his sixth Games, revealed he was told by officials earlier this month he would have to room instead with another former roommate and gold medallist, Michael Diamond.

Michael Diamond

Mark's wife Lauryn said the whole episode had thrown her Games preparations into disarray.


He said the Australian Olympic Committee had told him because accommodation was in a multi-room apartment format, it would be inappropriate for them to share with other athletes.


"The reason they gave was the bathroom sharing ratio would be breached. What a load of absolute rubbish."
As late as July 2, Mark received an email from Australian team chef de mission Nick Green telling him he would not be able to room with his spouse.


But the AOC last night said the pair would be able to room together after all.
"We will hand the keys to the shooting section when they get to the village," spokesman Mike Tancred said.


"If Shooting want to arrange accomodation where Russell and Lauryn can sleep together that's OK with us."


Mr Tancred said AOC sport director Erica de Jong had issued the directive to shooting section manager Nick Sullivan "about a week ago".


However, Mark said Sullivan had told him two days ago he was still rooming with Diamond.


"I think the AOC hasn't caught up with this," he said."It's disappointing because I have worked for the Olympic movement, either on the AOC athletes commision and the Victorian Olympic Council, for 16 years.


"I ask for one favour and it seems it's all forgotten.


"I suspect the real reason is I have upset someone over my Stillnox comments."


Mark caused a stir when he became the first current team member to criticise the AOC for its decision to ban Aussie athletes using Stillnox and two other sleeping pills at the London Games.


Lauryn Mark, who is competing at her second Olympics for Australia, said she was stunned by the decision.


"I was shocked and more than a bit disappointed," she said.


"It's taken me a few days to come to terms with it."


Lauryn, 32, said the decision had disrupted her preparation for London.


"I am really trying hard not to let it affect me.


"We have roomed together for such a long time. It's part of my routine.


"I have to be in a calm frame of mind to perform well."


Lauren has already courted controversy in recent weeks, agreeing to pose scantily clad for racy men's magazine Zoo, posing with a rifle.


The photos have yet to be published.

Lauryen swears by Pole Dancing as a means of keeping fit and healthy
Mark says pole dancing improved her core strength and arm muscles, vital when using her rifle for competition.

Diamond told News Limited Newspapers he would not be concerned if he did have to room with Mark.


"It would be excellent because we have had a happy history of roominig together. He gives me a great positive vibe and I've usually performed well."


The pair roomed together in Barcelona and Sydney, when Diamond won gold in the trap.


Russell Mark has however, maintained his sense of humour about the row.


"I did say to Michael, "you'll have to wear the pink nighty now. But it won't be the same."