Sore point for Jennifer McIntosh and Kay Copland as they have to settle for bronze

JENNIFER McIntosh and Kay Copland claimed Scotland's first shooting medal of the Games yesterday when they won bronze in the 50-metre rifle three-position pairs. But the celebrations were tinged with disappointment as they came within a point of pipping hosts India for the silver medal.

If Copland had scored a ten on her last shot, the Scots and Indians would have tied on 1,143 points, and she and McIntosh would have been awarded second place because they had scored more inner-tens throughout the match. Instead, she scored nine, and India were safe in second, just that one point clear. Gold medallists Singapore were not that much further forward on 1,149 points, and it was therefore understandable that the Scottish women had mixed feelings about their third-place finish.

"I'm obviously delighted to have won a medal, though it's a bit disappointing to come away with bronze rather than silver or gold," said McIntosh, whose parents have a distinguished history of competing at the Games. ''It's tough, particularly when it came down to that last point. It was absolutely terrifying watching Kay shoot that last sequence. It's always the worst part for me.

"I'm really proud of what I've achieved and I'm really proud to be following what my mum and dad have done. It would be great to better more of my mum's records and achievements."

Copland explained she had not fully realised how near things stood when she prepared to take that last shot. "I'm really happy with the result,'' she said. ''I had no idea it was so close, but it's a great feeling to come away with a medal. It was running through my head that there could be just a few points between gold, silver, bronze and fourth, but I was trying not to think about it too much. The thought maybe just got a bit too much today for my last shot."

The attention of both McIntosh and Copland now turns to the individual events, and the two are confident of making a serious challenge for more medals, with Copland especially encouraged by how quickly she has taken to the three-position event. "I've only been competing in the 3P for the past year, but I have been shooting prone for nine years," she said. ''The prone was starting to get a bit repetitive and I was keen to look at doing something else, so I started to compete in the 3P too. Both my parents, and grandparents, shoot, so for me it was the natural thing to do.

"This obviously sets me up well but I'm going to try and not think about it too much."

The 3P singles starts tomorrow with the qualifying tournament.