#Glasgow2014: Gold Medal for Coles

Published On: 26 July 2014

Laura Coles has won WA's first medal of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games

Western Australian Laura Coles has won WA’s first medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games after winning a dramatic gold medal match in the women’s skeet at the Barry Buddon Shooting Centre.

27 year-old Coles – in her first ever Commonwealth Games appearance – reached the final, and claimed gold after defeating Wales’ Elena Allen 14 targets to 13 in the gold medal decider.

Hailing from Busselton in WA’s South West, Coles produced the performance of her life to upstage her more experienced opponent and claim the state’s first Commonwealth Games medal.

Coles hadn’t been tipped for gold ahead of Glasgow but produced a stunning run of form to top qualifying with 70 targets, before moving through the semi finals with 15 targets, two ahead of Allen.

Any fears of a finals fade out in the gold medal match however, where quickly eased, after Coles hit her first 11 targets, with Allen dropping shots in her first two stations.

The debutant maintained her form, needing just one target from her final station, which she duly achieved to win the women’s skeet Commonwealth title.

Cypriot Andri Eleftheriou defeated England’s Sarah Gray for the bronze medal.