[3][4] Shortly after her Olympic debut, Bellenoue's rapid improvement arose when she recorded a brilliant 499.0 to take her first ever air rifle title at the 1997 ISSF World Cup final in Lugano, Switzerland.

[1] In early 2000, Bellenoue reached the peak of her shooting career by improving her personal best at 499.6 to claim her second individual gold at the European Championships, and then denied the rest of the field for another World Cup title in Munich, Germany with an outstanding record of 500.3 points.

[1][5] Bellenoue's noteworthy achievements had culminated her in a selection of being one of favorites vying for the Olympic medal in the 10 m air rifle at her succeeding Games in Sydney 2000, but she slumped out of the final round to an eight-way tie for twentieth place with a qualifying score of 391 points.

[10] She had registered a minimum qualifying score of 396 to secure an Olympic berth for France from her outside-final finish at the World Championships two years earlier.

[1][11] In the 10 m air rifle, held on the first day of the Games, Bellenoue fired a modest 392 out of a possible 400 to force in a massive draw with six others for twenty-second place.