Bronzed Penny takes first shooting medal in Paris

Australia has its first shooting medal of the Paris Olympics, with Penny Smith claiming bronze in the Women’s Trap.

Pennymaintained her composure throughout the six-woman final, reaching as high as second in the early going before finishing in an impressive third place with a score of 32.

A run of 14 consecutive hits across the opening four rounds, including a perfect second and third round, set up the medal win.

It was her second consecutive Olympic final, and she improved on her sixth- place finish in Tokyo three years ago.

Penny was thrilled with her performance and to walk away with an Olympic medal.

“I’m super proud of my bronze medal,” she said.

“I had to do it the hard way to shoot off to get into the final, and then obviously going in sixth, the weather was really hot and the conditions were fading. 

“Really pleased to come away with the bronze, and thanks heaps to everyone that supported me along the way.” 

The bronze medal is the first shooting medal for Australia since Catherine Skinner took gold in the same event in Rio 2016, and the third medal in Women’s Trap alongside Catherine’s Rio gold and Suzanne Balogh’s gold in Athens 2004.

It was a history-making final at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre, with Adriana Ruano Oliva winning Guatemala’s first-ever Olympic gold medal with an Olympic record score of 45. Italy’s Silvana Maria Stanco was third with 40 points.

Earlier in the day, Penny finished equal sixth in qualifying with a score of 121/125.

She then edged out China’s Zhang Xinquiu and Portugal’s Maria Ines Coelho de Barros in a three-person shoot-off to qualify for the final.

Teammate Catherine was unable to join her in the final, shooting 116/125 shots to finish in 17th place.

Credit: Ben Waterworth | Australian Olympic Committee


Latest News

Inspiring young Victorians on the road to 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games hero image

Inspiring young Victorians on the road to 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games

August 20, 2025

Olympian Tess Lloyd has swapped her Olympic sailing gear for a new role at the VIS, helping athletes share their stories and inspire Victorians. Being an athlete speaker herself, it was a full-circle moment when she returned to the classroom alongside two VIS winter athletes. Hear what makes this role so meaningful for her and how she’s helping inspire the community.

Olympic champion coach to fuel Victoria's cycling future hero image

Olympic champion coach to fuel Victoria's cycling future

August 19, 2025

Victorian cycling future strengthened with appointment of Tim Decker as Head Endurance Coach at the Victorian Institute of Sport.

Australia unearths 346 future stars in historic talent search ahead of Brisbane 2032 hero image

Australia unearths 346 future stars in historic talent search ahead of Brisbane 2032

August 7, 2025

Australia’s ambitious goal to pull off a record-breaking performance at Brisbane 2032 is gaining momentum, with 346 Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls uncovered through the nation’s largest-ever talent search.

Aussie cycling sensation: Conquering the climb no one could see hero image

Aussie cycling sensation: Conquering the climb no one could see

August 7, 2025

​Sarah Gigante has proved herself as one of the best climbers in the world, putting the international cycling community on notice.

The final play: Vixens clinch premiership in Simone McKinnis' grand goodbye hero image

The final play: Vixens clinch premiership in Simone McKinnis' grand goodbye

August 7, 2025

Melbourne Vixens have been crowned the 2025 Suncorp Super Netball season champions. With a spectacular 59–58 grand final win over West Coast Fever, in what was widely celebrated as a perfect fairytale send-off for outgoing coach Simone McKinnis OAM.

Related news

See all our partners

VIS is proudly supported by