One of Team GB’s most decorated shooting athletes has revealed she is aiming for gold at the Paris Olympics this summer – with her first baby due in just two weeks.
Amber Rutter, 26, is expecting a son with her husband James, whom she married in Thailand last year, in mid-April.
Talk to BBC Sport This week she said her intention was to return to training six weeks after the birth and be part of Team GB when the Games open on July 26.
THE The Olympic shotgun champion first announced her pregnancy in October via an Instagram post. and James in the mirror holding up an ultrasound image of their baby.
She told BBC Sport that her thoughts immediately turned to how she would juggle being a new mum and the sporting tournament, saying: “When I found out I was pregnant instantly, my Fingers began to determine how much time I had until the Olympics.”
Olympic Shotgun star Amber Rutter (pictured) told BBC Sport this week that she plans to compete in Paris despite giving birth to her first child in April, just three months before the Games.
The Olympian, who already has three gold medals, photographed in her son’s nursery; she told BBC Sport that she had received a lot of support so that when she competed in July, she could breastfeed her newborn while competing in France
The Olympian said there was “a lot of discussion” before her competition to ensure there were private spaces in which she could breastfeed her newborn.
The French Olympic Committee said in January that facilities would be made available to mothers attending the Games and traveling with their children.
Rutter, who specializes in skeet, said the couple was looking forward to starting a family and “didn’t want to wait any longer.”
She said: “I feel like I was like, ‘Oh, I’m a human being before I’m an athlete,’ but actually when I looked at the actions I was taking and what I was doing, and what my schedule was like, I definitely didn’t prioritize myself, my dreams and the things I wanted to do outside of my sport.
In 2021, the athlete was unable to take part in the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for covid the day before her trip to Japan (Pictured: speaking to BBC Sport this week)
Pros: Amber, who typically specializes in skeet, has won medals in major international competitions, including the ISSF World Cup series and the inaugural European Games.
Pictured with her husband James, the couple married in Thailand in February last year.
Even though she said winning another gold medal wasn’t “Everything for me now”, she still hopes to succeed at the highest level.
The athlete said: “I think the biggest challenge ahead will probably be just adjusting to being a mom. I think I’ve had one baby in my life, which is pretty terrifying, and I’m pretty surprised that I’m allowed to have one for myself.
In 2021, Amber was unable to compete in the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for coronavirus.
Her bags were already packed and she was getting ready for the start of the night before boarding the plane.
The couple announced that they were expecting their first child in October 2023.
With her husband James after tying the knot in a lavish ceremony in Thailand in February
And suddenly, her dream – the one she had been preparing for since the age of ten and which finally seemed within reach – ended.
She told the MailOnline last year: “I was just in shock when I saw the line in the first test,” she said, still barely able to understand it. “I had done lateral flow tests twice a day, so that was routine.
“I was in self-isolation so I hadn’t gone out – I even had an Ocado delivery for the snacks and toiletries I was going to take with me. I had gone through the whole kit and was just settling in to watch Love Island.
“And I saw every last one of the lines. My heart sank. I thought “No way, this can’t be happening” and did another test. And another. And another. I was completely in shock. In total, I did five, and I knew it. My Olympic journey was over. I will not go.
“I broke down sobbing. It took me half an hour before I could even say words. My coach was the first person I called. When I spoke to Paul, my sports psychologist, he said, “I’m having a really hard time being your psychologist now because you’re my friend. I feel your pain. I’m just gutted.”
Amber has won medals in several major international competitions, including the ISSF World Cup series and the inaugural European Games held in Baku, Azerbaijan.