Hill takes silver after Hegarty's gold at shooting World Cup

Great Britain’s Amber Hill scooped skeet silver at the ISSF Shooting World Cup in Lonato to add to Kirsty Hegarty’s gold from earlier in the week in Italy.

Hill medalled again after winning gold in Cyprus last month and was only one clay away from topping the podium as American Caitlin Connor claimed first place with 37.

Hill missed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after testing positive for Covid-19 but has put that disappointment behind her to find her range in 2022. 

She said: “To have two consecutive medals where I won gold in Cyprus and silver here in Lonato, it really is an amazing feeling every single time.

“I’m working really, really hard and I’m so happy with the results.

"I didn’t feel too great when I first arrived here but we kept pushing for target after target. I felt really good in qualification, and the score speaks for itself.

"These medals don’t come from nowhere and I couldn’t have done it without my team back home, so thanks to British Shooting, UK Sport and the National Lottery, my coaches Richard and Paul, my family, friends, my sponsors Beretta and Eley.

"I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone back at home who send lovely kind messages on social media as well."

Hegarty topped the podium in Friday’s trap final after the 33-year-old from Northern Ireland edged out Puerto Rico’s Augusta Campos-Martyn by 31 shots to 28.

She said: “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy. It feels better than winning a quota place, it feels better than being at the Olympics.

"It feels absolutely amazing. It’s all about taking one target at a time and trying not to focus on the end. Just focus on what you’re doing and it’ll work out."

In the men’s trap, Olympic bronze medallist Matthew Coward-Holley narrowly missed out on a podium place after finishing fourth in the final.