Francisca Crovetto Secures Chile’s First Olympic Gold in 20 Years with Victory in Women’s Skeet Shooting at Paris 2024
Fiona Nanna, ForeMedia News
7 minutes read. Updated 8:11PM GMT Sun, 4August, 2024
Chile has achieved a momentous victory by securing its first Olympic gold medal in 20 years, thanks to the exceptional performance of Francisca Crovetto in the women’s skeet shooting event. This triumph, which occurred on Sunday, marks a significant milestone for Chilean sports, as the nation had been waiting two decades for such a prestigious accolade.
Francisca Crovetto, a seasoned athlete and four-time Olympian, clinched the gold medal after an intense shoot-off, where she demonstrated remarkable precision by hitting her final two targets. The competition was fiercely contested, with Crovetto and Britain’s Amber Rutter finishing tied with 55 hits out of 60. The final decision came down to a dramatic shoot-off.
The victory was marred by controversy when a disputed call allowed Rutter to be awarded a miss for a shot that TV replays suggested had grazed the target. Rutter, who won silver, expressed her frustration over the incident, advocating for the implementation of video reviews in future competitions to ensure fairness.
“This is the way sport goes, unfortunately. I truly believe I hit that last target,” Rutter said. She added, “I just don’t want it to take away from any of the other girls’ performances.”
A Historic Win for Chile
Crovetto’s gold is a historic win for Chile, marking the first time the nation has earned an Olympic gold since Nicolás Massú’s double triumph in men’s tennis at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Chile had been without an Olympic medal of any kind since 2008, with their only prior shooting medal being a skeet silver won by Alfonso de Iruarrízaga in 1988, when the event was still mixed-gender.
“This victory still feels surreal to me,” said Crovetto. “It is a dream come true. I am living my childhood dream.”
Rutter’s Remarkable Comeback
Amber Rutter’s achievement is equally remarkable. Having reached the Olympic final in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 at just 18, she was a strong contender for a medal in the Tokyo Olympics but had to withdraw due to a positive COVID-19 test. Her subsequent battle with depression and her journey through motherhood, culminating in the birth of her son Tommy in April, made her silver medal even more poignant.
“It has honestly been a crazy few months and really tough balancing life with a newborn and fitting in training and everything else going on in my life,” Rutter reflected. “After the disappointment of Tokyo, I wanted to quit altogether. I only continued competing to cover my expenses. … To come back now and secure a silver medal feels like everything was meant to happen this way.”
The United States also had a notable performance, with Austen Smith winning the bronze medal in the women’s skeet. Smith’s success follows her coach Vincent Hancock’s fourth gold medal in men’s skeet, achieved the previous day. Smith, an aerospace engineering student at the University of Texas, mentioned that she is contemplating retirement after the Paris Games, though the prospect of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics is enticing.
“I’m a little bit on the fence right now. I’ve got to spend time back in the classroom. … But I also do like the sound of LA,” Smith said.
Smith and Hancock will join forces in the mixed team skeet event on Monday. Another of Hancock’s students, Conner Prince, who won silver in the men’s skeet, will compete alongside Dania Vizzi, who finished 12th in the women’s skeet.
