By David Nagel
The long journey from St Margaret’s in Berwick to the biggest stages in world shooting has continued for Laetisha Scanlan after claiming a bronze medal in the Women’s Trap in the ISSF World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Coming off the back of her silver medal winning performance at the ISSF Grand Prix in Granada, Spain, only a week prior, Scanlan was top qualifier in Baku, missing just six of 125 targets on the way to a score of 119.
She tied with Spaniard Fatima Galvez, and after a shoot-off, was ranked second where she progressed to the semi-final stage, Ranking Match 2.
Finland’s Noora Antikainen and Scanlan progressed to the medal match after scoring 23 and 22 respectively.
Scanlan, a three-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist who finished fourth at the Olympics in Tokyo last year, hit 22 of 25 targets in the final to claim the bronze medal.
Scanlan was excited to once again experience the feeling of having a World Cup medal draped around her neck.
“It’s been a while since I’ve medalled at a world cup so I’m really, really, happy,” she said.
“There were some quality shooters out there so to come away with the bronze is something that I’m super proud of.”
Scanlan will head home shortly after a lengthy European Tour with the Australian Shotgun team.
“Our European tour is coming to an end, it’s been almost seven weeks away,” she said.
“I’ve learnt some really valuable lessons throughout this journey and I’m really lucky and fortunate to have so many competitions within the seven weeks.
“I’m really happy to finish off at a world cup…and medalling.”
Scanlan will have the opportunity to add to her extensive medal haul with the Trap Mixed Teams and Trap Team events still to come later this week.
Scanlan will not get the chance to defend her back-to-back crowns at the Commonwealth Games, with shooting not part of the program in Birmingham this year.
But the now 32-year-old may set her sights on the 2026 Commonwealth Games…to be held in her home state of Victoria.
