Olympics: Makela-Nummela of Finland wins women's trap gold

Tuesday, 12 August 2008

BEIJING - Satu Makela-Nummela of Finland, a 36-year-old mother of two, won the Olympic women's Trap shooting gold medal on Monday.

Zuzana Stefecekova of Slovakia took the silver, while Corey Cogdell of the United States claimed the bronze after winning a shoot-off with three other competitors.

It was the first Olympic Games for all three medallists, who took advantage of the absence of 2004 Athens champion Suzanne Balogh of Australia.

"It is amazing," said Makela-Nummela. "I did not believe I would win today.

"I could not concentrate in the final because I was thinking of home. But it's good I did not think of the results or who was breathing down my neck.

"That made sure I was not under any pressure."

Cogdell, the youngest of the three medallists at 21, won the shoot-off against a field that included 2000 Sydney Games champion Daina Gudzineviciute of Lithuania.

Of the six shooting golds decided over the first three days of competition, China and the Czech Republic have won two each with India and Finland taking the other two.

Women's Trap results:

(Top 6 finalists)
1. Satu Makela-Nummela (FIN) 91 (70+21) pts
2. Zuzana Stefecekova (SVK) 89 (70+19)
3. Corey Cogdell (USA) 86 (69+17)
4. Yukie Nakayama (JPN) 86 (67+19)
5. Daina Gudzineviciute (LTU) 86 (69+17)
6. Elena Struchaeva (KAZ) 86 (69+17)

7. Deborah Gelisio (ITA) 66
8. Susanne Kiermayer (GER) 65
9. Irina Laricheva (RUS) 64
10. Nadine Stanton (NZL) 63
11. Susan Nattrass (CAN) 63
12. Liu Yingzi (CHN) 63
13. Delphine Racinet (FRA) 62
14. Stacy Roiall (AUS) 62
15. Daniela del Din (SMR) 62
16. Charlotte Kerwood (GBR) 58
17. Diane Swanton (RSA) 57
18. Pak Yong Hui (PRK) 56
19. Lee Bo Na (KOR) 55
20. Gaby Diana Ahrens (NAM) 52