Kirsty and Matt miss Trap Mixed Teams final by narrow margin

Throughout the shooting events at this year’s Olympic games we have seen exceptional athletes pushing each other to the very edges of their abilities. At each event the tiniest of margins have separated those that go home with a medal and those who don’t.

This was perhaps no more evident than in the recent Trap Mixed Teams event, where Team GB athletes Kirsty Hegarty and recently crowned Olympic bronze medallist Matthew Coward-Holley stepped onto the stands to battle it out with the world’s best.

Both athletes shot phenomenally well, with Kirsty scoring 70/75 and Matt hitting 73/75 for a total of 143/150. This score would not be enough to see them through to a medal however, with a score of at least 146 needed for a chance at bronze.

Spain and San Marino both scored 148/150 in qualification to find themselves competing for gold. It would all come down to just one target, with Spain’s Fatima Galvez and Alberto Fernandez eventually taking the top spot with a final score of 41/50.

The battle of bronze took place between Team USA and Team Slovakia. Tension was high as each team shot their way through the final 50 clays, and even higher when they both equalled on 42/50. This led to a shoot-off for the medal, with Zuzana Rehák-Štefečeková and Erik Varga eventually edging out their American competitors to win by one target.

Sadly the pair’s score was not sufficient to achieve a medal

Podium positions

Gold- Spain, Fatima Galvez and Alberto Fernandez
Silver- San Marino, Alessandra Perilli and Gian Marco Berti
Bronze- Slovakia, Zuzana Rehák-Štefečeková and Erik Varga

A full report on the shooting coverage at the Tokyo Olympics will be published in the next issue of Sporting Gun.