GLASGOW Commonwealth Games gold medallist Berwick’s Laetisha Scanlan stormed through three competition stages of Women’s Trap at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Acapulco on Monday, to bring home the silver medal.
But just by reaching the gold-medal match, Scanlan secured Australia a coveted second spot in the Women’s Trap event at the Olympic Games in Rio.
Twenty-four-year-old Scanlan shot 73 out of 75 targets across three rounds of qualification to spearhead her way into the semi-final stage of the competition. She maintained her dominance over the playing field, shooting 14 out of 15 targets in the semis to secure a gold-medal match against the USA’s Corey Cogdell in which the American proved stronger, winning the title by four targets.
New Zealand’s Natalie Rooney won the bronze medal.
This marks the third year in a row that Scanlan has won a medal at the opening World Cup event of the year.
Scanlan and Melbourne’s Catherine Skinner rewrote Shooting Australia’s history after winning gold and bronze respectively at the first World Cup event of 2014, in Tucson, USA.
At the opening World Cup in Al Ain, UAE, the duo had created history by becoming the first Australian women to win the gold and silver medals in the same event.
Scanlan spoke to Shooting Australia shortly after the medal ceremony in Acapulco.
“I was very sick with an ear and throat infection on the first day I arrived in Acapulco and a local doctor here helped me get back in action.
“I worked really hard all day and stuck to my routine,” Scanlan said, describing her sheer joy at having won the silver medal.
“The preparation during summer, at the Nationals and the Cyprus Grand Prix, set me up strongly for a podium finish at this World Cup.
“After I reached the gold-medal match, I knew I had won a quota for Australia, and relaxed a little bit.
“I’m rapt that we now have two Rio quota places for Women’s Trap.
“Hopefully I will get to Rio and even win a medal!”
Shooting Australia CEO Damien Marangon was proud of Scanlan’s result, saying, “to have shot 73/75 and then 14/15 is an amazing achievement for Laetisha”.
“What an outstanding result for Australia to now be guaranteed two places at the Rio Olympic Games, and for both to have been won in an Olympic class field, shows the depth of quality we have in Australia.”
