A spinal injury ended Adriana Ruano’s Olympic dream as a gymnast. But on Wednesday, she came back as a shooter and won Guatemala’s first Olympic gold medal.
Ruano was training for the 2011 world championships in gymnastics, a qualifier for the London Olympics the following year, when she felt pain in her back.
An MRI showed the then-16-year-old had six damaged vertebrae — a career-ending injury — and Ruano’s doctor recommended she take up shooting if she wanted to stay in sports without aggravating her injured back.
That advice paid off Wednesday as Ruano won gold in the women’s trap with an Olympic-record score of 45 out of 50.
Ruano closed her eyes and took a deep breath before hitting her 43rd target to make sure of the gold with five shots remaining. She missed her next two shots after that, but it didn’t matter.
Ruano celebrated in tears after winning gold while spectators cheered and waved Guatemalan flags, Olympics.com reported.
According to Panam Sports, Ruano’s father died just weeks before she competed in the Tokyo Olympics.
“I am blessed to have my mom and brother in Paris, giving me their support,” she told Panam Games before the competition. “I thank them too and all my fellow Guatemalans. Know that I carry you all in my heart.”
Guatemala had never before won a gold medal at the Olympics, and had only one medal of any kind in its history until Tuesday, when Jean Pierre Brol won bronze in the men’s trap.
Italy’s Silvana Stanco won the silver on 40 and Australia’s Penny Smith took the bronze.
