Third gold medals for German and Italian shooters in Rio
Shooters from Germany and Italy took their NOCs gold medal tally at Rio 2016 to three apiece on 13 August as Christian Reitz (GER) won the 25m rapid fire pistol event, while fellow policeman Gabriele Rossetti (ITA) clinched the men’s skeet.
Upon winning his first gold in three editions of the Olympics, the 29-year-old Reitz walked across the range to hug fellow officer and training partner Jean Quiquampoix of France, who won the silver after a thrilling shoot-off with bronze medallist, China’s Li Yuehong.
In the eight rounds of five shots in quick succession, the world-record holding Reitz proved to be a reliably steady shot, never missing more than one target in each round. German shooters have now claimed five golds and nine medals overall in the rapid-fire shooting events at the Games, more than any other country.
The 20-year-old Quiquampoix was more of a surprise, coming up through the six finalists after a wobbly start and scoring several perfect rounds of five.
Before stepping up to the podium to receive his gold medal, Reitz, a bronze medal in Beijing, demonstrated his sense of fair play, as he went around the front to congratulate the silver and bronze medallists. “In Beijing 2008, I went in thinking I had no chance because it was a sixth place,” he said. This year, I had a great feeling going into the Games, so it was a little bit easier maybe on the mind,” he added.
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