Amber Rutter Secures Silver in Women’s Skeet at Paris Olympics

Amber Rutter put on a stunning performance to clinch a silver medal in the women’s skeet shooting final at the Paris Olympics. This achievement is especially remarkable as it comes just three months after she welcomed her baby, Tommy, into the world.

After the intense final, Rutter’s husband, James, and little Tommy surprised her with a heartfelt reunion. Rutter faced a tough competition, ultimately being edged out by Francisca Crovetto from Chile, but her effort did not go unnoticed.

The final moments of the shoot were full of drama and a bit of controversy. Rutter passionately argued that a crucial miss on her part should have counted as a hit since she believed it nicked the clay. Despite this hiccup, she beamed with joy at securing a medal, marking a stunning comeback after having to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics due to a positive Covid-19 test.

Rutter started strong, finishing qualifying rounds in joint first place, although she ranked second after a shoot-off against American Austen Smith. With only one miss in her first 20 attempts, she kicked off the elimination rounds in great shape, with Slovakian Danka Bartekova being the first competitor to exit.

Although Rutter missed one out of the next ten shots, she still held a strong position as the competition narrowed down to four shooters, following the elimination of Emmanouela Katzouraki from Greece. Even with another miss in her next set, Rutter maintained her lead as Slovakian Vanesa Hockova fell short in her attempts, resulting in Rutter celebrating a guaranteed medal.

As the final progressed, Smith was the next to be eliminated. Rutter’s hopes flickered in the sudden death shoot-off against Crovetto, especially after the Chilean missed two targets in a row, but ultimately, Rutter finished just shy of gold.