Two-time Olympic shooting gold medallist in shooting, 51-year-old Australian Michael Diamond, will not be able to compete at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games after a New South Wales tribunal upheld a decision to reject his application for a firearms licence.

Diamond, who won gold in Atlanta '96 and Sydney 2000, had his Category A firearms licence revoked in 2018 after being found guilty of firearms and drink-driving offences in Port Stephens in 2017. Following the sanction, the Australian challenged the decision, but the verdict was upheld in January last year.

The Oceanian has competed in six Games and became only the second shooter to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals after Italy's Luciano Giovanetti, who won in 1980 and 1984 (individual trap).

In May 2016, Diamond was preparing to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics when the police arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. He was found to have a shotgun and 150 rounds of ammunition in his car. His blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit. 

As a result of his offence, the Australian Olympic Committee refused to nominate him for the Olympic Games held in Brazil. In early 2017, Diamond was convicted of firearms offences and impaired driving. His firearms licence was suspended for 10 years and he was given a suspended sentence instead of jail time. 

Seeking to exhaust all possible avenues to regain his licence and compete in the Paris Games, he applied in September for an administrative review of the decision to reject his application for a new firearms licence. The New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal upheld this decision, meaning he will not be able to compete in the upcoming National Olympic Qualifiers, as he needed a firearms licence before 16 January 2024, a requirement that will not be met. 

In his attempt to compete in the Australian National Tittle, the first selection event for Paris 2024 , Diamond argued that he could be trusted with the measures he had taken to reform himself since the ban was imposed.

The sentence, handed down on 5 January, noted that Diamond had undergone therapy, a road intervention programme and firearms safety training. However, in reaching its decision, the court prioritised the interests of the community over Diamond's appeal.   

The New South Wales Police Force argued against licence reinstatement, saying Diamond's efforts did not demonstrate a significant change in behaviour. The court agreed, saying it was not in the public interest to grant Diamond a firearms licence. 

They cited his past offences and claimed that his recent activities could not compensate for his past actions. As a result, Diamond will not be able to qualify for the Paris Olympics, and the world's greatest sporting event will once again lose the two-time Olympic gold medallist for reprehensible out-of-competition behaviour.