Vashon's Nattrass captures world title

Susan Nattrass had done it again, even though it took her 25 years for a repeat.

A five-time Olympian who lives on Vashon, Nattrass captured the world championship title in trap shooting on Saturday, beating 62 women from 30 countries at the competition in Zagreb, Croatia.

The last time she brought home the gold was in the 1981 worlds.

"One of the smart alecks in the office reminded me that the last time I did this was before a lot of my current competitors were born," said Nattrass, who at 55 has long been a trailblazer in women's shooting.

She was the first woman to compete in shooting in the Olympic Games, representing Canada, in 1976. After women were barred from shooting at the Olympics in 1992, she successfully led a campaign to get them back in the Games, and made the 2000 and 2004 teams.

The one unifying factor is her mother, Marie Nattrass, who has been a faithful traveling partner to her daughter to competitions around the world for 37 years. As a special birthday present for her mother, Susan won her recent world crown on the same day Marie turned 86.

Nattrass moved to Vashon 10 years ago and is both the owner and director of the Puget Sound Osteoporosis Center on Beacon Hill, as well as a researcher for Pacific Medical Centers.

She moved here from Nova Scotia, and is in a five-year process of obtaining dual citizenship. She also is already taking aim at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, training locally at the Renton Fish and Game Club.

In the recent world finals, she scored 90 targets, one more than Li Chen of China, who took the silver medal.

Nattrass first was brought into trap shooting by her father Floyd, who was on Canada's 1958 and 1962 world-championship teams and was an Olympian in 1964.

"While other kids would go to the lake for the summer, we always went to trap shoots," Nattrass said. "My dad started when I was 5; we'd go to shoots, and I did everything I could do be a part of it. Then when I turned 12, he taught me how to shoot."

In 1964, Nattrass thought she would try out to become an Olympian in volleyball. She soon learned that her chances in shooting were better, and her course was set.

Next up for her are the Canadian championships later this month. Her world championship automatically qualifies her for the World Cup in Granada in October.

Cathy Henkel: 206-464-8278 or chenkel@seattletimes.com