Sport
23 March, 2023
Gold for Penny
BOOKAAR’S Penny Smith has won gold in the women's trap shotgun event at the ISSF World Cup in Doha, Qatar.
BOOKAAR’S Penny Smith has won gold in the women's trap shotgun event at the ISSF World Cup in Doha, Qatar.
Only a couple of weeks after an Australian record-breaking perfect performance of 125 out of 125 targets, Smith’s nerves of steel got her through a tough competition on March 11 to win her third
individual World Cup gold medal against some of the world’s best including world and Olympic champions.
Smith was the second highest qualifier, securing her spot in the semi-finals.
“The first day I ran the first 50 (out of 50) and shot 24 in the last round for a 74 out of 75 which was really good shooting,” Smith said.
“I then came out for the semis and probably struggled a little bit and had a 22 (out of 25) and then came back strong with a 24…and qualified second for the final.”
Smith shot 23 out of 25 targets in her semi-final to progress to the four-women medal match.
With fourth place and the bronze medal decided, Smith was up against Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Zuzana Stefecekova from Slovakia to battle it out for the gold and silver medals.
But the medal match saw no victory with both women equal on 28 targets, requiring a sudden death ‘miss and out’ shoot off to determine who was taking home the gold.
“I shot a really good semi for a 23 and probably the medal match was a little bit rough but it’s never over until the last shot is fired and obviously coming down to a sudden death shoot off was a little bit nerve-racking,” Smith said.
“The nerves were rising but I just had to keep my composure and keep my routine and that’s what I did.”
Smith returned home for a short break before heading to Cyprus for the next World Cup.