Paris Olympics 2024: Chile's Francisca Crovetto Chadid wins gold in women's skeet

Francisca Crovetto Chadid had narrowly made it through qualification while finishing fifth.

Francisca Crovetto Chadid made history for Chile today as she earned her country’s first ever Olympic shooting gold medal after winning a controversial shoot-off 7-6 against Britain’s Amber Rutter in the skeet women final at Paris Olympics 2024.

Rutter, who had her bags packed to fly to the Tokyo 2020 Games when she had to withdraw because of a positive COVID test, insisted urgently that she had hit both of her last two shoot-off targets – with her coaching team barely able to watch amid the tension – but officials did not allow her appeal.

So it was the 34-year-old Pan American champion Francisca Crovetto Chadid, competing in her fourth Olympics, who secured victory in a contest where 23-year-old Austen Smith took bronze to bring the United States’ Paris 2024 medal tally in shooting sport to four.

“I believe I hit my final shot but unfortunately the ref doesn’t see it (that way),” Rutter said. “That’s the way sport goes, unfortunately. The standard is so high in these finals and the other medallists are deserving as well. I’m just proud to say I’m a silver medallist at the Olympic Games for Great Britain.” 

Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: Vincent Hancock brings home gold for USA in men’s skeet

Rutter, 26, who finished sixth at the Rio 2016 Games aged 18 under her maiden name of Hill, looked ready to emulate her British team-mate Nathan Hales, who took gold in the men’s trap, as she and her Chilean opponent finished the scheduled 60 shots level on 55.

After both scored with their first four efforts the Briton, shooting first, gave Francisca Crovetto Chadid an opportunity after missing her sixth, but then the Chilean did likewise, taking the process on to another pair of shots.

This time Rutter was deemed to have missed her second effort, although her arm shot up immediately to contest the decision. Francisca Crovetto Chadid, who had worn a mask of fierce concentration throughout the final, remained distant from the discussions before stepping up to claim gold with two hits.

At last a smile changed her features as Rutter shook her head before moving across for the consoling feel of her three-month old son Tommy. At the point where Slovakia’s Vanesa Hockova had departed in fourth place the Briton, so traumatised by her Tokyo 2020 disappointment, beamed and punched the air, knowing she had an Olympic medal.

After what happened three years ago, Olympic silver was a triumph indeed. Her face was a mix of emotion as she stood on the podium – smiles and tears – as the cries of her young son were heard from the stands.

Francisca Crovetto Chadid’s achievement followed that of Chile’s only other Olympic shooting sport medallist, Alfonso de Iruarrizaga, who earned silver in the skeet. It was also Chile’s third Olympic gold following the tennis wins at the Athens 2004 for Nicolas Massu in the singles and the doubles with Fernando Gonzalez.

Hockova’s 39-year-old Slovakian team-mate Danka Bartekova, the London 2012 bronze medallist, was the first of the six finalists to depart, leaving her fourth Olympics with a sad smile. Next to go was Greece’s 23-year-old world bronze medallist Emmanouela Katzouraki.

Smith, who had topped the morning’s qualification, looked thrilled to be assured of a place on the podium, her bronze following the silver won by Sagen Maddalena in the 50m rifle 3 positions women and the gold and silver secured in yesterday’s skeet men final by, respectively, Vincent Hancock and Conner Prince.

The morning qualification had seen several illustrious competitors fail to make the cut, including home athlete Lucie Anastassiou, who finished three places off the final, China’s world record holder Wei Ming, who was 13th, and Italy’s 41-year-old Rio 2016 gold medallist and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Diana Bacosi, who finished 15th.

“I still don’t believe it,” said Francisca Crovetto Chadid. “I was so focused on trying to hit every target and pass every step of this final. I think I will realise tomorrow what happened. It will be in my heart and in the heart of my country forever.

“It is a dream come true. I am living my childhood dream. The most beautiful thing is to have my family here – my mum, my sister, one of my nieces, my brother-in-law, my husband and also my coach, who is like my eldest brother. We made it, so I am happy.”

Rutter commented: “I am completely over the moon. This is something I’ve dreamed about and my (late) grandad and my family have dreamed about for a long time. To be here with my son with me, with an Olympic silver medal, it doesn’t seem real. It’s an incredible moment.”

Asked whether this made up for missing Tokyo 2020 after testing positive for Covid-19, she responded: “Tokyo was a really tough time for me and I was ready to quit the sport altogether. I didn’t see a future (in the sport). I’m glad I fought through those hard times. I believe that everything happens for a reason.”

Smith said: “I’m still in shock. This is my wildest dream. I’ve been fighting for this for the past decade of my life. I can’t believe it.”

Referring to her training partners Vincent Hancock and Conner Lynn Prince, the respective skeet men gold and silver medallists, she added: “Those guys are the reason I’m up here. Those guys are an inspiration every single day.”

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