Teenager Amber Hill revealed her ability to get “in the zone” was the secret to her gold-medal winning performance in an astonishing women’s skeet final against Italy’s Diana Bacosi.
Bacosi hit 75 out of 75 targets going into the final, but Hill, shooting second throughout, was unfazed as she forced a shoot off with the pair missing just one clay each.
What followed was an astonishing test of nerve as both performed faultlessly until Bacosi missed her 30th clay and 17-year-old Hill took full advantage to claim Team GB’s fifth gold medal of the European Games.
“I’ve never known anything like it. She is an incredible shooter, she shot 75 out of 75 and to then do that in the final was incredible,” said Hill, who has consequently qualified for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio.
“But I wasn’t going to let her win this time because I’ve been fighting so hard for this and I can’t believe it has finally happened after a bit of a rocky start to the year. I am absolutely buzzing.
“In training I get myself into a focus mode and I was just lucky that I found my rhythm. I had confidence in myself and my ability and that I had done everything I need to do in training and it paid off.
“I am just absolutely thrilled with the result. It’s so special.”
Earlier in the competition, last year’s world silver medallist Elena Allen has finished 14th in qualifying with a score of 67 – missing out on a semi-final place by four points.
In the first day of qualification in the men’s skeet competition, two-time British champion Mike Gilligan shot 72 to place 16th, while 25-year-old Jeremy Bird scored 66 and lies in 30th position.
© Sportsbeat 2015