Quick Info
| Profession | Shooter |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Hungarian |
| Date of Birth | 21/01/1910 |
| Age | 65 years (died on 05, Jan, 1976) |
| Birthplace | Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary |
| Date of Death | 05/01/1976 |
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Bio/Wiki
| Károly Ede Takács was a Hungarian sport shooter, coach, and lieutenant colonel. | |
| He was the first Olympic athlete with an impairment to reach the podium in his sport and the first repeat winner of the rapid-fire pistol event. | |
| Takács is considered an 'Olympic hero' by the International Olympic Committee. |
Physical Stats & More
| Height | 183 cm |
|---|
Personal Life
| He was laid to rest at the New Public Cemetery in Budapest. |
Relationships & More
| Marital Status (at the time of death) | Not Known |
|---|
Career
| Competed for Budapesti Partizán SC and Budapest Honvéd. | |
| Gold medal in 25m rapid fire pistol team at 1939 World Championships in Lucerne. | |
| Hungarian champion in small-bore sports pistol in 1940. | |
| Five-time national champion in sports pistol, one-time in small-bore sports pistol, four-time in large-bore sports pistol after World War II. | |
| Bronze medal in 25m center-fire pistol at 1958 ISSF World Shooting Championships. | |
| Served as a front-line officer during World War II. | |
| Retired as a lieutenant colonel at age 56. | |
| Worked as a shooting coach, mentoring Olympic silver medalist Szilárd Kun. | |
| Member of the national team twenty-five times during his career. | |
| As an active athlete, served as head coach for the Budapest Honvéd shooting team. | |
| After retirement, coached at Honvéd and as a shooting instructor at the Zrínyi Miklós Military Academy until his death. | |
| Won bronze medals at the 1955 European Championships in Bucharest in individual military pistol and at the 1958 Moscow World Championships in team sports pistol. | |
| Won gold in the 25-meter rapid-fire pistol event at the 1948 London Summer Olympics. | |
| Finished eighth in the 25-meter rapid-fire pistol event at the 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics. | |
| Won 35 Hungarian national shooting championships in total. |
Favourites
| Shooter | Carlos Enrique Díaz Sáenz Valiente |
|---|
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Károly Takács was a Hungarian Olympic athlete and the third athlete with a physical disability to compete in the Olympic Games. | |
| 2. He served as a sergeant in the Hungarian army and had the desire to join the 1936 Summer Olympics shooting team, which was initially hindered by his non-commissioned rank. | |
| 3. In 1938, a grenade explosion during military training resulted in a severe injury to his right hand, prompting him to switch to shooting with his left hand, leading to a surprise victory at the Hungarian national pistol shooting championship in 1939. | |
| 4. At the 1948 London Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal in the 25-meter rapid-fire pistol event by defeating world champion shooter Carlos Enrique Díaz Sáenz Valiente. | |
| 5. He also secured another gold at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics in the same event and finished eighth in the 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics. | |
| 6. Károly Takács went on to win 35 Hungarian national shooting championships and is considered an 'Olympic hero' by the International Olympic Committee. | |
| 7. He was honored with a commemorative stamp by Dominica in 1948 and later became a shooting coach, mentoring Olympic silver medalist Szilárd Kun. | |
| 8. After retiring as a lieutenant colonel, he was laid to rest at the New Public Cemetery in Budapest. | |
| 9. In May 2023, an author named Sid Boyka released a book titled 'The Life Story Of Unbreakable Spirit & Success: Karoly Tekacs,' narrating his inspiring journey. | |
| 10. In August 2023, Indian filmmaker R. Balki released a film named 'Ghoomer,' loosely inspired by the life of Károly Takács. | |
| 11. Full name: Károly Ede Takács. | |
| 12. Began shooting as a competitor in the Honvéd Officers' Sports Association. | |
| 13. He became the first shooter to secure two Olympic gold medals in the 25-meter rapid-fire pistol event using his left hand due to a serious injury to his right hand. |