Rio de Janeiro: Having only just qualified for the semi-finals, Australian Catherine Skinner has overcome an early deficit in the gold medal match to triumph in the women’s trap.

The Victorian trailed New Zealand’s Natalie Rooney by two shots but came back to win 12-11.

“Really, you’ve just got to keep going for it because it’s not uncommon for people to fall to pieces at the end,” Skinner said.

American Corey Cogdell took bronze.

Skinner, 26, had earlier made 14 of 15 targets to claim the six shooter semi-final.

The news was not as good for fellow Australian Laetisha Scanlan, who finished equal fifth in the semi.

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Scanlan had easily qualified for the semi-final, but Skinner needed a shoot-off to edge Canadian Cynthia Meyer for the final place in the semi.

Both Scanlan and Skinner were vying to match the performance of Australian Suzanne Balogh, who won this event 12 years ago. That was Australia’s most recent gold in shooting, while it had been eight years since the nation’s last medal in the sport – a bronze to rifle shooter Warren Potent.