Clay Pigeon Shooting: The schoolgirl with a perfect aim

Most 15-year-olds are on their summer holidays gearing up for one of the most stressful years of their adolescent life – their GCSE year.

But for one Sussex schoolgirl this summer is more than a chance to recharge the batteries. Charlotte Kerwood won a Commonwealth Games gold medal yesterday in the women's double trap clay pigeon final here. Her convincing victory over New Zealand's Nadine Stanton – who took silver – was even more remarkable as she only began shooting seriously three years ago and only took up double trap six months ago. "I don't really believe it. Normally I don't get very nervous but I was a little bit today," she said.

The Walden Park School pupil has had plenty of opportunity to practise at her father's shooting ground at Sheffield Park in East Sussex. Kerwood took her big day in her stride. "It was intimidating but as the day went on it just got better and better," she said. "I didn't expect to get a medal at all. I just hoped to get into the final."