On a scorching day with temperatures reaching the mid-30s at Paris 2024, Great Britain’s Nathan Hales remained calm under pressure, setting an Olympic record in the men’s trap event and securing Team GB’s third gold medal of the Games.
Hales was overcome with emotion on the podium as the British national anthem played, tears flowing as he released the feelings he had expertly managed throughout the competition.
“Being in this position is something I have dreamed of since childhood, since I started shooting with my family,” he remarked. “It was always a dream of mine, so coming here and actually achieving it feels absolutely surreal.”
At 28 years old, the Chatham, Kent native scored an Olympic record of 48 out of 50, defeating silver medallist Qi Ying of China by four shots at the shooting venue in Chateauroux, the capital of France’s Indre department. Jean Pierre Brol Cárdenas secured bronze, marking Guatemala’s second Olympic medal ever.
Hales, married to former GB Olympian shooter Charlotte Kerwood, expressed gratitude for her unwavering support. “She’s provided incredibly helpful insights into the thoughts and feelings I would encounter while here, which is fantastic because we both love this sport,” he shared.
Hales began his journey into clay shooting at just five years old with his father and transitioned to Olympic trap at the Nuthampstead Shooting Ground in 2014, aspiring to compete in the Olympics. He clinched gold in trap with a world record at the World Cup in Lonato, Italy, in 2023, and earned a silver medal at the world championships in Osijek, Croatia, in 2022.
Expectations for a medal in this event had mainly rested on Matt Coward-Holley, the Tokyo bronze medallist, while Hales competed in his inaugural Olympics. Though Coward-Holley struggled during the two-day qualification, Hales secured his spot in the top-six final.
Hales missed only one of 25 shots in the early phase of the final, finishing at the top of the leaderboard, one shot ahead of his Chinese competitor. In the subsequent phase, where the lowest-scoring shooter is eliminated after every five shots, Hales held a slight lead of one shot after 35, ensuring his Olympic medal.
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“It was incredibly close. I just adhered to my routine and stayed focused,” Hales commented. “I engage in some sports psychology work, so I maintained my breathing and had faith in myself. I didn’t realize it was an Olympic record until someone pointed it out.”
He paid tribute to the late British shooter and coach Kevin Gill. “We embarked on this journey together, and while we didn’t get to finish it together, I know he’d be extremely proud. The final was fantastic, and I’m thrilled to have achieved both an Olympic record and the gold medal.”
