It's gold or silver, and Chiara Leone makes her best shot of the entire competition with 10.8 points. The woman is made for the psyche of the shot.
"I can go the extra mile under pressure. I'm the competition type. I find that extra gear there," says Chiara Leone before her departure for Paris at the Biel performance center. With these words, she looks back on her European Championship gold in Osijek, Croatia, in May.
And it is precisely with these qualities that the European champion is now crowned Olympic champion in the supreme discipline, the three-position match with the small-caliber rifle. In the one shot that will shape her entire career, she hits the center. In the 15 shots kneeling she never reaches 10.8, twice in the 15 shots prone and only once in the 15 shots standing. She beats Nina Christen's result in Tokyo by 0.5 points - the result can be compared because, unlike the qualification, the final is shot in a 50 m hall.
No talent at the first attempt
Coach Enrico Friedemann played a major role in the Olympic gold medal. The German has been training the shooter from Fricktal since 2018 and says openly: "When she came around the corner as a junior, I didn't think she would develop like this." But she has made a huge effort. And she also implemented her will mentally. "95 per cent of shooting is decided in your head," emphasizes the coach. "In terms of level, 25 shooters can prevail in Paris. But having your head on day X is what counts."
The 26-year-old comments on Friedemann's allusion to her years as a junior: "I was never the best right from the start. I had to work for everything." When Nina Christen won the Olympics three years ago, she was not yet ready to keep up with the best.
With her hard work, Chiara Leone chose the right sport. Shooting does not require genetically determined prerequisites such as fast muscle fibers for sprinting, height as a volleyball player or geographical proximity to snow as a skier. Shooting can be learned right up to world-class level. With what qualities? "Perseverance," says Chiara Leone.
The Olympic champion comes from a family of shooters and found her way to precision sports through her parents and J+S courses. After graduating from high school in Aarau, she moved to Biel, where she lives and trains. She is said to be quiet, rather withdrawn, a little shy and very focused.
Extreme situation back in May
At the performance center, Chiara Leone was able to develop in one of the strongest teams in the world. Alongside Nina Christen, Emely Jäggi from Solothurn, who is only 15 years old, also put the pressure on. A three-way battle broke out for the Olympic tickets, which was a tough challenge even for Nina Christen. Chiara Leone's path to Paris alone was worthy of an Olympic champion. Only the European Championship gold in Croatia brought her to Paris, because Emely Jäggi took bronze in the same competition. Back in April, Chiara Leone made the groundbreaking hits in an extreme situation. The Olympic final was a déjà vu in terms of the psyche of the shot.
