Amber Rutter claims bronze at Shotgun World Cup in return after childbirth

Amber Rutter claims bronze at Shotgun World Cup in return after childbirth

British shooter Amber Rutter has made a successful return to international competition by winning a bronze medal at the International Shooting Sport Federation's Shotgun World Cup in Lonato, Italy. The 28-year-old Olympic silver medallist, who gave birth to her second son in October, competed in the ISSF's new 36-target finals format.

Rutter finished behind Italian Sara Bongini, who set a world record to take gold, and Sweden's Victoria Larsson, who won silver. The event marked Rutter's first major international appearance since returning from maternity leave.

Rutter previously secured a silver medal in the women's skeet event at the Paris 2024 Olympics, a feat she achieved just two months after giving birth to her first son. That competition ended controversially after a shoot-off.

Speaking after the World Cup, Rutter admitted the competition was challenging. "I'm exhausted, but it's good to be back. It hasn't been my easiest competition," she said. "I felt nervous being back on such a big stage again with so many competitors, and the standard has been so high. But I'm super happy with the bronze medal."

She noted that three days of shooting was more than she had done recently, and the extreme heat added to the difficulty. "It's been extremely hot, so it was about trying to keep cool, reset as much as possible and just focus," she added.

Rutter said she is now looking forward to returning home to her family. "It's been a great competition, but I'm ready to get home to my boys."