Franc Pinter

Franc Pinter (born 24 December 1953) is a Slovenian sport shooter from Slovenska Bistrica who has won several medals at the Paralympic Games.[1][2]

Franc Pinter
Personal information
Born (1953-12-24) 24 December 1953
Sport
SportParalympic shooting
Medal record
Men's Paralympic shooting
Representing  Slovenia
Paralympic Games
Silver medal – second place1996 Summer ParalympicsR1
Silver medal – second place2000 Summer ParalympicsR1
Silver medal – second place2004 Summer ParalympicsR1
Bronze medal – third place2008 Summer ParalympicsR1

Pinter sustained a spinal cord injury in a car accident in 1977. Following the accident, he practiced several sports, including wheelchair basketball, Para athletics, Para swimming, and Para table tennis, where he competed at the elite level. Finally, he decided to focus on sport shooting.[2] Making his Paralympic debut at the 1992 Summer Paralympics in Barcelona, Pinter has represented Slovenia at every Paralympics since, with the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo being his eighth appearance.[3]

As a paraplegic, Pinter competes in the SH1 category. At the Paralympics, he competes in R1 – Men's 10m air rifle standing, R3 – Mixed 10m air rifle prone, R6 – Mixed 50m rifle prone SH1, and R7 – Men's 50m rifle 3 positions disciplines.[1] In his seven Paralympic appearances, he has won four medals, three silver and one bronze, all in the R1 discipline. He won silver medals at the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Summer Paralympics, and a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. At the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, he finished 11th in this discipline.[1] At the age of 67, Pinter was one of the oldest athletes at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. Preparing for the Games, Pinter stated that he was in a good shape in 2020, but the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he also regretted the absence of international competitions during the pandemic.[3] He is coached by Polonca Sladič, who was also the coach of Živa Dvoršak at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[3] In Tokyo, he finished 10th in the R1 discipline.[4]

For his achievements in Para-sports, Pinter has received several awards and recognitions. He was named Athlete of the Year by the Paralympic Sports Federation of Slovenia and the Paralympic Committee of Slovenia in 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, and 2006.[5] He was also awarded the Bloudek certificate of recognition in 2007 for his achievements in Para-shooting.[6]

References
  1. "Franc Pinter" (in Slovenian). RTVSlo.si. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  2. "Franc Pinter". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  3. "Strelca najmočnejše slovensko orožje v Tokiu" (in Slovenian). RTVSlo.si. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  4. "Tiršek ubranil srebro za jubilejno 50. slovensko medaljo!" (in Slovenian). RTVSlo.si. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  5. "Dosedanji športniki leta med invalidi" (in Slovenian). Paralympic Committee of Slovenia. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  6. "Bloudek ima dosti naslednikov" (in Slovenian). Gorenjski glas. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
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