Rooney fails to make trap final
Rio Olympics silver medallist Natalie Rooney has failed to make the women’s trap final at the Commonwealth Games.
The South Canterbury shooter was tied for sixth after the third and final qualification round on the Gold Coast yesterday, with her score of 66 shared by Australian Laetisha Scanlan.
With the top six advancing to the final, that prompted a shoot-off, where Rooney added seven to her score, but Scanlan added eight, and advanced.
Rooney, 29, was joined in missing out on the final showdown by Catherine Skinner, the Australian who pipped her to the gold medal in Rio two years ago.
Skinner finished eighth, with a score of 64.
Rooney began slowly at the Belmont Shooting Centre, shooting 20 in her first round, and 22 in her second round, with 25 the maximum.
A 24 in the third qualification round got her close to advancing, but it wasn’t to be.
Sarah Wixey of Wales was one of three shooters to score 69 in qualification, alongside Abbey Ling of England and Kirsty Barr of Northern Ireland.
India’s Shreyasi Singh and Scotland’s Sharon Niven were the others to make the final, both scoring 67.
Rooney claimed a silver medal at the Rio Olympics, sparking a run of form that made her the No 1 women’s trap shooter in the world last year.