Laetisha Scanlan’s preparations for the World Shooting Championships are right on the track after the Berwick hot-shot won gold recently in Lonato, Italy.
Scanlan braved some sweltering European summer heat to win the gold medal in the Women’s Trap event at the Shotgun World Cup.
Scanlan is one of 14 athletes who will represent Australia at the 2023 ISSF World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, which begin on August 17.
Competition in Lonato was tough against some of the world’s most experienced Women’s Trap competitors.
Alongside a field of 86 women, and well versed in this high level of international competition, Scanlan – a dual Olympian and current world number six – finished qualifying in third place after shooting 118 out of 125 targets.
This secured her place in the final, comprising the top six qualifiers.
“I managed to qualify with 118 which put me in bib number three for the final, so I was really happy to start in the middle of the pack,” Scanlan said.
In the final, under a blue sky and sunny warm conditions, with every target counting and a single miss detrimental to the outcome, Scanlan applied the pressure, and led the way to the gold medal. “There are so many talented women (competitors) so I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy final,” she said.
“I was really happy to have started off strong initially and then that just led me into a battle for gold and silver against Fatima (Galvez from Spain).
“It was incredibly hot in the final but having said that I was so glad I was out there.”
Scanlan did not just have the support of the Australian Team who was watching on from the grandstand, but her parents Pamela and Bernie Scanlan made the trip to Italy to support their daughter.
“They got to watch me which was so amazing,” Laetisha said.
“They are my biggest supporters, so I am really, really, happy.”
Watching on from Melbourne, Scanlan’s husband Sam Waters was also thrilled with Laetisha’s result.
“I am just so incredibly proud of her as always,” Waters said.
“Laetisha is constantly putting in the hard work and I am so happy she was able to get the reward she deserves and in front of her parents who made the trip to Italy to support her.”
Scanlan will now return to Melbourne for a short break before she heads to Baku for the World Championships in August; a shotgun range where she won a World Cup bronze medal in 2022.
“I am looking forward to going to Baku and again competing against the best of the best.”
