Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro

They have two lives: students or young graduates, these French also won a medal in the Olympic Games.

The face of the French athletes of tomorrow

They spend their days between their university, sometimes their brand new job, and their passion for high-level sports. They are new in the business or IT industry, but already seasoned athletes in boxing, rowing or fencing. These athletes have two faces because they also participated in the French performance during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Here is a selection of profiles:

Pierre Houin, gold medal in rowing

This student in "Sports, business and services" in the IUT Nancy-Charlemagne was already a favourite we he embarked in the final of rowing on the 12^th of August with teammate Jérémy Azou. Under a light rain falling over the Rodrigo Freitas beach, both athletes beat their Irish and Norwegian competitors at the start of the race and took over until the finish line to win the gold medal.

At 22, Pierre Houin is no new fish: he started rowing at 11 before convincing his parents to move in the vicinity of the Toul canal (Meurthe-et-Moselle region) to train daily, like a professional. The confirmation arrived in 2015 with three gold medals won during the World Cup of rowing, in the European Cup of rowing and the U23 World Cup of rowing. This performance awarded him the title of "French rower of the year" granted by the French Federation of Rowing. The young man seeks to become a coach, but observers are already putting their money on the Olympic Games in Tokyo, in 2020.

Jean Quiquampoix, silver medal in shooting

Tension was unbearable during the final of rapid fire pistol at 25 meters that occurred on the 13th of August in Rio de Janeiro. After an awful first series that sank him in the bottom of the ranking, the shooter from Marseille Jean Quiquampoix managed to turn the tables to end 2^nd on the podium, only two points away from the German and world record holder Christian Reitz.

Quiquampoix, already Europe champion at 16 (in 2012), admits his hard struggle to pair his passion for sport and his studies. At 20 years old, Jean Quiquampoix has just started a training as physiotherapist after studies in law in the University of Aix-Marseille III. He splits his days between shooting sessions in the morning, indoor sports in the afternoon and studies at 4 pm. This heavy programme lets him continue with another professional activity: the athlete is also a volunteer deputy "gendarme" (sort of policeman)!

Estelle Mossely, gold medal in boxing

A students in the École supérieure d’ingénieurs Léonard-de-Vinci (ESILV) from 2010 to 2015, Estelle Mossely has just joined the Allianz group as designer and development engineer. But don't tell her she's a geek because she has a mighty hook! The young lady joined the final in female boxing during the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in the lightweight category, against Chinese boxer Yin Junhua.

During the first round, the jury couldn't decide who the best was. But Estelle Mossely managed to show her superiority during the second round, and climbed on the highest step of the podium. On the 19^th of August, she blew her 24 candles. She also wrote the History of the Summer Olympics as the first French boxer to won the gold medal.

 Yannick Borel, gold medal in fencing

Yannick Borel has long wondered whether he would commit to fencing and the "gwoka", a musical genre from his native Guadeloupe. Sports finally won because the club was closer to his school! At 15 years old, he was spotted by Jérôme Roussat, at the time coach of the Team France of fencing. Following his advice, the young man went to continental France to join the National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance (INSEP). Yannick Borel trained with the best French fencers.

With no medal won during the Summer Olympics in London in 2012, Yannick Borel took his revenge on the 12^th of August in Rio de Janeiro. After a struggling qualification, he fought the final of épée against Italy with teammates Gauthier Grumier, Daniel Jérent and Jean-Michel Lucenay. The four Frenchmen won with 45 touches to 31.

Yannick Borel, a massive man of about 6.6 ft. for 224 lb. is still a student in the INSEP. He too wants to become a sports coach.

 Photos © Rio 2016 et © Département du Val-de-Marne/David Merle