Gold rush for military athletes on seventh day of Paris 2024 Olympics

PARIS (FRA) - Our military athletes once again demonstrated their exceptional prowess and determination on the seventh day of medal events at the Paris 2024 Olympics, securing prominent placements and earning multiple medals, including two prestigious golds. Their performances not only highlighted their individual talents but also underscored the strength and dedication of military athletes on the global stage.

In the Shooting 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women event, Private First-Class Chiara Leone from Switzerland clinched the gold medal with a stellar performance, scoring 464.4 points and setting a new Olympic record. Her victory was closely followed by Sergeant Maddalena Sagen from the USA, who secured the silver with 463 points. OR1 Jeanette Hegg Duestad from Norway finished fourth with 442.5 points, and OR-3 Nadine Ungerank from Austria placed fifth with 432.1 points.

Private Chiara Leone (picture: Keystone SDA)

Brazilian Judoka Sergeant Beatriz Rodrigues de Souza emerged victorious in the Women’s +78kg category, claiming the gold medal by defeating Israel’s Raz Hershko with a Waza-Ari in the final match.

In the Men's Cycling BMX Racing, French Sergent Sylvain Andre took the silver medal, followed by his compatriot, Sergent Romain Mahieu, who won bronze. The podium was topped by their teammate, Joris Daudet. Private First-Class Cédric Butti from Switzerland narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth, while his compatriot, Private First Class Simon Marquart, placed seventh.

In the Women’s Cycling BMX Racing, Private First Class Zoé Claessens from Switzerland earned the bronze medal, finishing with a time of 35.060, just 0.829 seconds behind the New Zealand gold medallist, Saya Sakakibara. French Sergent Axelle Etienne secured seventh place.

Sergeant Beatriz Rodrigues de Souza (picture: Alexandre Loureiro / COB)

The Women's Skiff event (Sailing) saw French athlete Maitre Charline Picon, alongside her teammate Sarah Steyaert, securing third place with 79 net points, only seven points behind the gold medallist team from the Netherlands. Italian Corporals Giorgia Bertuzzi and Jana Germani finished fifth with 95 net points.

The Archery Mixed Team event featured a commendable effort from Indian Subedar Bommadevara and his teammate Ankita Bhakat, who finished fourth after losing 6/2 against the USA in the bronze medal match. Italian Corporal Mauro Nespoli and his teammate Chiara Rebagliati secured seventh place, while Brazilian Sergeant Ana Luiza Slichticas Caetano, along with Marcus d’Almeida, placed ninth.

Sergeant Sylvain André (picture: Ministère des Sports)

In Diving Men's Synchronised 3m Springboard, Italian Corporals Lorenzo Marsaglia and Giovanni Tocci finished fourth with 403.05 points, 43.05 points away from the gold medallists from China. Ukrainian Military Reserve Oleg Kolodiy and his teammate Danylo Konovalov ended in seventh place with 97.83 points.

The Swimming events saw Italian Corporal Leonardo Deplano placing seventh in the Men's 50m Freestyle with a time of 21.62, just 0.37 seconds behind the Australian gold medallist Cameron McEvoy. In the Men's 200m Individual Medley, Italian Corporal Alberto Razzetti finished sixth with a time of 1:56.82, 2.76 seconds behind French gold medallist Léon Marchand.

Maitre Charline Picon (picture: ministere des sports)

In Fencing, the Men's Épée Team from Italy, including Corporal Gabriele Cimini and his teammates Davide di Veroli, Andrea Santarelli, and Federico Vismara, finished in fifth place.

In Rowing, the Men's Pair event saw Swiss Private First Class Roman Röösli and Andrin Gulich securing the bronze medal with a time of 6:24.76, trailing the gold medallists from Croatia. In the Lightweight Men's Double Sculls, Italian Corporals Stefano Oppo and Gabriel Soares won the silver medal with a time of 6:13.33, 2.34 seconds behind the gold medallists from Ireland. Swiss Private First Class Jan Schäuble and Raphaël Ahumada finished fourth.

Private First Class Roman Röösli (picture: Spitzensportförderung der Armee)

The achievements of these athletes reflect their rigorous training and unwavering commitment, bringing honor to their countries and showcasing the spirit of excellence fostered within the CISM community.

(Source: CISM Media & Communication Department)