‘‘I didn’t know until the girls screamed out,’’ Sedgman, 16, told AAP straight after the win. ‘‘I was like: ‘Oh, really? Cool.’’

Sedgman scored 676.0 to defeat Singaporean shooter Xiang Ser, 672.6. Sedgman went into the fi nal in the silver medal position after qualification.

‘‘I didn’t think I was going very well until I heard eights (out of ten) in other people’s scores, which made me happy,’’ Sedgman told AAP.

‘‘But I didn’t want to think about the eights because then I would shoot an eight, so I was just focusing on my work.’’ Sedgman told AAP that her family was back in Natimuk and, with a cheeky grin, said she may wait some time before phoning her parents.

‘‘I think I’ll let them wait it out a bit,’’ she said.

Proud parents Iain and Connie Sedgman and sister Ayesha Sedgman sat anxiously by their computer during the final.

Iain’s mother Elaine phoned through with the good news after hearing the results broadcast on radio.

The Sedgmans were overcome with emotion on hearing the news.

They said they always believed in their daughter and Mrs Sedgman said she woke with a feeling Alethea would win gold.

“I knew she could do it,” Mr Sedgman said. “I know my daughter and I knew that when the chips were down she would shoot a very good final. I’m just over the

moon that she won.”

“She’s a very determined child,” Mrs Sedgman said.

“I just want to see that gold medal next to her name,” Mr Sedgman said.

“A bit over a year ago I sat down with Alethea and we spoke about setting goals.

Her goals were to win an Australian Cup, and she’s since won three of them; to win the Horsham Smallbore Rifle Club 20-metre championships, which she won; and to make it to the Commonwealth Games.”