First woman to win Bisley in 70 years

A student has become the second woman in 140 years to win the top prize for rifle target shooting at Bisley, Surrey.

A student has become the second woman in 140 years to win the top prize for rifle target shooting at Bisley, Surrey.

Scotland's Joanna Hossack, 20, saw off challengers from 14 countries to claim the Sovereign's gold medal, the first to woman to win the blue riband of the championship since Marjorie Foster in 1930. Ms Hossack, reading philosophy and psychology at Edinburgh University, is also the second-youngest winner.

In the final she beat Johan Ahrens of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, hitting the bull with her last shot at 1,000 yards. As is traditional, she was carried from the range on the champion's chair.

Ms Hossack took up small-bore shooting at the age of 12 and later moved to full bore. She was a member of the Scottish team that had an unbeaten tour of Australia this year.

Ms Hossack, whose father, David, is a former captain of the Scottish team, said: "I did not think once that I was going to win, so it had come as a very pleasant surprise. But we have been celebrating quite hard. I only had about three hours' sleep before the Queen's Prize [finals]."