Jacques Jefferies is ready to recuperate and come back for more after a Olympic debut to remember at Milano Cortina 2026.
The 23-year-old biathlete closed out his maiden Games with an 81st place finish in the men's 10km sprint, finishing in a time of 27:02.5 following missing five shots.
It pairs with a 79th-place finish in his 20km individual event earlier in the week, with both performances not quite reaching the level he was aiming for.
But with his maiden Olympic Games now behind him, Jefferies is already looking ahead to the French Alps, which will host the 2030 Olympic Winter Games, with ambitions to transform his disappointment into a performance to be proud of.
"Sadly for me it was not the performance required, I was a little far back but it has been a great two races to gain experience and I'm now looking forward to being back here again in another four years," he said.
"But I'm really happy today, it was a really nice race and the atmosphere out on the course was amazing," he said. "This is what the Olympic Games are for."
Following his first out in Italy, Jefferies had expressed his ambitions to reach the top 40, or even 60 to qualify for the pursuit event.
It didn't happen for Jefferies, but he knows that there is more in the tank and is ready to build on his first Olympic experience to finally reach the peaks he believes he can.
"There is definitely more to do," he said. "I am not at the level required to perform here at the moment but overall it is a better race than my first. I definitely felt better."
Jeffries will certainly be more at home in the French Alps, the place he calls home after his parents moved there from the UK.
Mum Sam is from Middlesbrough and dad Gareth hails from Poole but it us Morzine that Jefferies is based, an hour's drive from Le Grand-Bornard where the biathlon will be held in four years' time.
A world junior champion, Jefferies only made the switch to British colours this year, having previously represented France, and is already excited for what is to come after making his World Cup debut earlier this season.
"I left a team that is incredibly structured, they have got years of experience in managing winter Olympians but the British team know what they are doing," he said.
"I have had a great team and I don’t miss the French system. I don’t regret changing.
"It has let me relax and focus on my performance and my race calendar. I am no longer having to think about stressful selection policies. If I want to go to this race or go to this training camp, I can go and do it. All I have to worry about is me, my other team-mates and the coaches."
Sportsbeat 2026