Amber Rutter’s Olympic journey has been marked by both triumph and heartache. The 27-year-old shooter’s remarkable achievement of winning a silver medal at the Paris Olympics came just three months after giving birth to her son, Tommy. Yet, her victory was clouded by a controversy that took her back to the painful experience of missing out on the Tokyo Games due to a positive COVID test.
Rutter’s journey to Paris was an unexpected one. She had no illusions about her chances after becoming a mother. “I honestly just didn’t think I would do very well,” she said. Yet, her determination led her to a stunning silver medal in the women’s skeet event. The medal was a testament to her strength, but the joy was overshadowed by a controversial incident that occurred during the final.
In the sudden-death shoot-off for gold, Rutter was wrongly ruled to have missed a shot, despite clear evidence showing it had hit. When she attempted to appeal, she was informed that video replays were not available for use at the Olympics, although they were commonly used in other competitions. As a result, she had to settle for silver behind Chile’s Francisca Crovetto Chadid, while viewers in Britain expressed their outrage at the mistake.
Rutter’s initial reaction was anger and frustration, but her perspective soon shifted. As she stepped off the podium, it was her husband, James, holding their son, Tommy, that gave her the strength to move forward. “When I came off, I went straight to my mentor, Richard [Brickell], and started crying uncontrollably,” she recalled. “But when I turned around and saw James with Tommy, everything seemed to lift off me. Winning that medal with Tommy watching was the closure I needed. It wasn’t just about the medal, it was about redemption.”
Though the injustice still stings, Rutter found solace in the support of her family. She acknowledged that nothing could change the outcome, but she continued to voice her dissatisfaction. Ten days after the final, she addressed the situation on social media, calling for an apology and accountability from the International Shooting Sport Federation and the International Olympic Committee. However, she received no response. “Somebody needs to put their hand up and say they got it wrong,” she said. “It makes shooting look so amateur.”
Despite this frustration, Rutter’s life has taken a new direction. She has shifted her focus to her growing family, which includes not only Tommy but also her pet rottweiler and cat. She has also ventured into public speaking, sharing her journey with corporations and recently launched her own shooting apparel range. Initially, Rutter had planned to take a step back from elite sport, but the success following her Olympic silver medal, coupled with unexpected encounters like being recognized while swimming in the Caribbean, has led her to reconsider her future in the sport.
“If that reason is important enough to you, that’s why you do it,” she reflected. Rutter’s motivation has evolved over the years, from a love of spending time with her grandfather to a drive to represent her country. Now, it is also about supporting her family and securing a future for them.
Rutter is proud of her achievements in the shooting world, especially her success in the Olympics just months after becoming a mother. “Shooting isn’t like sprinting or jumping,” she pointed out, noting that it allowed her to return to competitive action faster than most first-time parents would. She hopes her story serves as an inspiration to others, demonstrating that life’s big goals, like becoming a parent or getting married, don’t need to be put on hold.
However, Rutter admits that competing so soon after giving birth was challenging. If she were to have another child, she said it would be planned differently. “I definitely wouldn’t be doing it three months before the Olympics again,” she laughed. “But I’m so proud of how everything came together when I wanted it to.”
As Tommy’s cries echoed from the baby monitor, Rutter’s focus quickly shifted back to motherhood. “Right, I’ve got to go and get him because he’s going to kick off,” she said, heading upstairs to tend to her son. A photograph of her with Tommy after winning the Olympic medal hung nearby an image that Rutter never expected to have. She had told her husband not to bring Tommy to Paris, fearing it would distract her, but in that moment of vulnerability after the final, she was thankful he hadn’t listened.
“That moment will stick in my mind forever,” Rutter said, her voice filled with emotion.
