Jean Quiquampoix wins a bronze medal, Romain Aufrère enters the ring: Antibes shooters on deck at the European Shooting Championships

Almost to the day after the Paris Olympics, shooters returned to the Châteauroux shooting range for the European Championships.

It started well for the members of the Antibes Shooting Club, who had not managed to bring home a medal from the Games.

Jean Quiquampoix (29 years old), Olympic champion in Tokyo, took bronze on Sunday, July 27, in the 25m pistol event behind the German Florian Peter and the French Clément Bessaguet. In the team event (cumulative of the three best results), the French team won gold.

"The work continues to bear fruit, we are moving forward step by step," reacted the double Olympic medalist.

This Wednesday, July 30, it's the turn of Romain Aufrère, his young 20-year-old teammate, to enter the fray, with the 60-ball prone rifle (50m). But the Junior World Champion is especially looking forward to the 50m three-position event on Thursday, July 31.

"I'm going to give it my all in the 60-ball game, but I'll mainly treat it as training," says the Cagnes-sur-Mer native. "On Thursday, the goal will be to win. I've put everything in place in training. This season, I've gained confidence and been more consistent. Physically and technically, I'm ready, but it's going to be a mental game."

The Gaudois is preparing to shoot in the place where he did not have the expected results last summer ( ^15th in the qualifications in the 50m three positions, ^45th in 10m, ^9th in mixed team). "It was not the best competition of my life, but it was an experience and a bonus because the real objective is Los Angeles in 2028."