One of Australia’s top Olympic archery contenders for the London Games has been involved in legal action, Odette Snazelle says she was on more than one occasion intimidated by the father of a rival. She claimed that he followed her, stared at her and yelled her daughters name during competition in an effort to distract Snazelle. 

Jonathan Barnard, the father of fellow London Olympic hopeful Elisa Barnard was named as the accused. Snazelle was quoted as saying “I felt terrified,” she said: “I was really fearful of what he was going to do to me.”

Currently Snazelle has an interim court order which prevents Barnard from coming within 200 meters of her, although the women can continue to compete against each other in the battle for Australian Olympic selection.

Australia is likely to qualify only 1 female archer for the 2012 Olympics – and Barnard and Snazelle are two leading contenders.