Achille Paroche

Biographical information

Roles	Competed in Olympic Games
Sex	Male
Full name	Nicolas Achille•Paroche
Used name	Achille•Paroche
Born	1 March 1868 in Sery, Ardennes (FRA)
Died	27 May 1933 (aged 65 years 2 months 26 days) in Signy-l'Abbaye, Ardennes (FRA)
Measurements	170 cm
NOC	France

Medals	OG
Gold	1
Silver	3
Bronze	1
Total	5

Biography

A French army captain, Achille Paroche was a prolific rifle shooter, but also occasionally successful with a hand weapon. Not counting his exploits at the Paris Olympics (which doubled as World Championships), he won the stunning total of 27 World Championship medals. His most dominant performance was at the 1898 edition in Torino, where he won the individual and team free rifle, as well as the free rifle standing competition, while adding silvers in the prone and kneeling events. All his other titles came in the free rifle prone competition, which he won in 1900 (thus making him Olympic champion as well), 1910 and 1913. His best pistol results came in 1900 (silver individually and with the team) and 1901 (another team silver). Between 1898 and 1914, Paroche only twice failed to win a medal with the French free rifle team; in 1903 no Frenchmen travelled to Argentina, and in 1912 he was left off the squad. Paroche’s last international medal came in 1921, when he won silver in the army rifle standing competition. A year earlier he had won his fifth Olympic medal, 20 years after his first four, in the military rifle team event.

Results

Games	Discipline (Sport) / Event	NOC / Team	Pos	Medal	As
1900 Summer Olympics	Shooting	FRA			Achille Paroche
	Free Pistol, 50 metres, Open (Olympic (non-medal))		1
	Free Pistol, 50 metres, Open (Olympic (non-medal))		3
	Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres, Open (Olympic (non-medal))		51
	Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres, Open (Olympic (non-medal))		1
	Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres, Open (Olympic (non-medal))		16
	Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres, Open (Olympic (non-medal))		NP
	Free Pistol, 50 metres, Men (Olympic)		2	Silver
	Free Pistol, 50 metres, Team, Men (Olympic)	France	2	Silver
	Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres, Men (Olympic)		7
	Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres, Team, Men (Olympic)	France	3	Bronze
	Free Rifle, Kneeling, 300 metres, Men (Olympic)		16
	Free Rifle, Prone, 300 metres, Men (Olympic)		1	Gold
	Free Rifle, Standing, 300 metres, Men (Olympic)		=19
	Concours d'Excellence, Men (Olympic (non-medal))		4
	Military Pistol, Open (Olympic (non-medal))		8
	Military Pistol, Open (Olympic (non-medal))		NP
	Military Pistol, Open (Olympic (non-medal))		4
	Military Pistol, Open (Olympic (non-medal))		37
	Military Rifle, Open (Olympic (non-medal))		77
	Military Rifle, Open (Olympic (non-medal))		118
1920 Summer Olympics	Shooting	FRA			Achille Paroche
	Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres, Men (Olympic)		AC
	Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres, Team, Men (Olympic)	France	7
	Military Rifle, Prone, 300 metres, Men (Olympic)		5
	Military Rifle, Prone, 300 metres, Team, Men (Olympic)	France	2	Silver
	Military Rifle, Prone, 600 metres, Team, Men (Olympic)	France	5
	Military Rifle, Standing, 300 metres, Men (Olympic)		AC
	Military Rifle, Standing, 300 metres, Team, Men (Olympic)	France	5
	Military Rifle, Prone, 300 and 600 metres, Team, Men (Olympic)	France	4
	Small-Bore Rifle, Standing, 50 metres, Men (Olympic)		AC
	Smal-Bore Rifle, Standing, 50 metres, Team, Men (Olympic)	France	5

List mentions

Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Shooting Championships (7–15–9 1898 Torino gold: 300 m free rifle 3 positions, 300 m free rifle standing, and 300 m free rifle 3 positions team, silver: 300 m free rifle kneeling and 300 m free rifle prone; 1899 Loosduinen silver: 300 m free rifle 3 positions team; 1900 Paris (Olympics) gold: 50 m free pistol and 300 m free rifle prone, silver: 50 m free pistol team, bronze: 300 m free rifle 3 positions team; 1901 Luzern silver: 50 m free pistol team, bronze: 300 m free rifle prone and 300 m free rifle 3 positions team; 1902 Roma bronze: 300 m free rifle 3 positions team; 1904 Lyon silver: 300 m free rifle prone, bronze: 300 m free rifle 3 positions team; 1905 Bruxelles bronze: 300 m free rifle 3 positions team; 1906 Milano silver: 300 m free rifle 3 positions team; 1907 Zürich bronze: 300 m free rifle 3 positions team; 1908 Wien bronze: 300 m free rifle prone and 300 m free rifle 3 positions team; 1909 Hamburg silver: 300 m free rifle 3 positions, 300 m free rifle prone, and 300 m free rifle 3 positions team; 1910 Loosduinen gold: 300 m free rifle prone, silver: 300 m free rifle 3 positions team; 1911 Roma silver: 300 m free rifle 3 positions team; 1913 Camp Perry gold: 300 m free rifle prone, silver: 300 m free rifle 3 positions team; 1914 Viborg silver: 300 m free rifle 3 positions team; 1921 Lyon silver: 300 m military rifle standing)