Bracknell athlete Amber Rutter picked up a silver medal yesterday at the Paris Olympics Games after a controversial end to the women’s skeet final.
Despite missing out on a gold medal in controversial circumstances, the 26-year-old described it as a ‘dream’ to walk away with a silver medal.
Rutter finished tied in first place with a score of 55 shots from 60 targets alongside Chile’s Francisca Crovetto Chadid.
After a shoot off, the pair were still tied after three rounds, but in the fourth round the judges called that Rutter had missed a shot despite appearing to hit the target.
After contesting the call, the decision was not overturned due to the Olympics not having a version of a video assistant referee in use.
Speaking on BBC One the morning after her medal win, Rutter said: “So I managed to get into a shoot-off for the gold medal match. We tied after our 60 targets and then we went into a shoot-off.
“I was shooting against Fran from Chile, and I believe that I hit my last target.
“Unfortunately the ref didn’t see it. I turned round and tried to appeal it but the ref didn’t see it and they called it as a loss.
“From the reaction I’ve had today from people saying they did also see that target break, it is painful but this is what happens in sport. It’s just part of the game.
“I know it wasn’t just myself affected. There were other athletes in the final where they believe they hit shots as well and they weren’t given. It shows how VAR systems are.
“It’s something we did have but I’m not quite sure where it was this time? I just don’t want to take away all the hard work that has gone into this medal. It’s something to be celebrated, not stewed on.”
