Amber Rutter has called for an apology from the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) after being denied a gold medal at the Olympics. Rutter was the Team GB shooter who referees incorrectly deemed to have missed a clay that replays showed had in fact been broken.

The 26-year-old competed in the women's skeet only three months after giving birth to a baby boy. And, even more remarkably, Rutter was only denied a gold medal by an error from the referees.

She was adjudged to have missed her ninth shot. However, television replays showed that she had actually struck the clay. The Olympics does not use video technology despite its regular use at other international events and Rutter had to settle for a silver medal, with Chile's Crovetto Chadid claiming gold.

Rutter insists she did not want to engage in the 'negativity' around the episode but has called for an apology from the ISSF. She wrote on Instagram: “There has been thousands of comments and images shared of me clearly hitting my final shot in the gold medal match shoot off. Due to a poor and incorrect decision by all three referees I was denied the opportunity to continue in the shoot off and chance at Olympic Gold.

“After the negativity I felt around catching Covid before Tokyo 2020 and the games becoming such a bad headspace for myself, I have said in many interviews I really didn't want to get sucked into the negativity of what could've been.

“However, after being sat reading through so many of your comments with clear photographic evidence of me hitting the target, I feel like I owe it not just myself but the entire shooting community to highlight and address the matter.

“Every athlete, especially at the Games deserves to compete on a fair playing field. Whether that be through experienced and exceptional judging, or new technologies such as VAR which we have always had in place previously at ISSF competitions.

“At this point in time, I can't imagine a huge amount will be done, and that is not what I am looking for. However, I do believe some accountability needs to be taken to acknowledge and an apology for the incorrect decision and furthermore a plan to prevent something like this happening in the future.”

Rutter believed other shooters had suffered from poor refereeing decisions.

She continued: “There were multiple occasions through the final day where other shooters had a similar experience to myself and I am sure have the same feelings as myself.

“I hope to use this platform I have right now to try and spark change in our sport. We are at an elite level and these mistakes I believe should not even be a possibility. I hope we can work together, athletes, coaches, officials to create something better.”