Teen Charlotte aims for Olympics
England's youngest Commonwealth Games medallist is still in shock today after winning gold in an event she took up only six months ago.
Fifteen-year-old Charlotte Kerwood won her title in the double trap shooting competition yesterday in a surprise victory which her coach claims puts her in a position to become the first female shooting star.
The teenager from Sussex only began shooting seriously three years ago and did not start competing in the double trap, a form of clay pigeon shooting, until six months ago.
Despite her lack of experience, she showed nerves of steel to beat New Zealander Nadine Stanton into second place by 141 points to 134 to secure her top place on the podium.
"I don't really believe it," she said. "I was just hoping to get into the final and winning the gold medal is far more than I ever dreamed of. It's fantastic."
She went on: "Normally, I don't get very nervous but I was a little bit. A lot of them were shooting really well and they were a lot more experienced than me. It was intimidating but as the day went on, it just got better and better."
Charlotte's victory was watched by Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Essex, who had come to watch Olympic clay pigeon champion Richard Faulds compete in what was supposed to be an assured victory for him. Instead, Faulds came in fifth in his event and it was Charlotte who provided Edward and Sophie with the sight of English gold on their visit to Bisley, in Surrey, where the shooting competition is being held.
Charlotte had already given a hint of her ability the previous week by winning a pound from Richard Faulds when she beat him on the shooting range.
Today her coach, Terry Allen, said she had the potential to become the first woman to make money out of shooting.
The teenager has already secured Lottery funding after being designated a world-class athlete and is now set to seek sponsorship on the back of her gold medal.
Her next aim will be to compete at the 2004 Athens Olympics, confounding England's shooting coach Ian Coley who had expected it would be 2008 before she would be ready for the Olympics.
Charlotte took up shooting because her father, Dan, runs his own shooting ground at Sheffield Park in Sussex. He watched her triumph yesterday and said: "It's more than we ever expected - it's a huge achievement."
