Gary Anderson (marksman)

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Gary Lee Anderson (born October 8, 1939 in Holdrege , Nebraska ) is a former American sports shooter who was Olympic gold medalist with a free rifle in 1964 and 1968 .

Life

Anderson went hunting with his father at an early age, and in 1957 he began shooting. After joining the US Army , he had almost unlimited training opportunities. In 1959 he took part in the Pan American Games for the first time, in 1961 he won his first US championship. At the 1962 World Cup in Cairo , Anderson won five titles, including four in individual competitions, and set three world records. At the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964 , he won a three-position battle with a free rifle with a new world record of 1153 rings.

In 1966 he scored six titles at the World Championships in Wiesbaden , three of them in individual competitions. At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, he increased his world record in the three-position fight to 1157 rings and won gold again. In 1969 he retired from active sport after the World Cup in Barcelona . With two Olympic victories, eleven world championship titles, six world records, eleven wins at the Pan American Games and eleven US championship titles, Anderson is one of the most successful sport shooters ever. He was the first sports shooter to promote daily running training to improve fitness.

Anderson was in the US Army until 1962, then from 1963 to 1965 with the National Guard in Nebraska and then until 1968 with the National Guard of California . He then spent almost a year studying languages ​​in Munich , where he belonged to the Hauptschützengesellschaft, of which he is still an honorary member today. He then graduated from the Theological Seminary in San Francisco . In 1972 Anderson was elected a Republican to the Nebraska Parliament; after a year he switched to the Democratic Party . In 1974 he did not run for re-election.

Anderson then became active at the National Rifle Association , where he was promoted to executive director. His main focus was on training programs for gun owners. As a jury member and technical delegate, Anderson has participated in numerous sporting events, including eight Olympic Games. He was director of the shooting range at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta .

literature

  • Volker Kluge : Summer Olympic Games. The Chronicle II. London 1948 - Tokyo 1964. Sportverlag Berlin, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-328-00740-7 .
  • Volker Kluge: Summer Olympic Games. The Chronicle III. Mexico City 1968 - Los Angeles 1984. Sportverlag Berlin, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-328-00741-5 .
  • Bill Mallon / Ian Buchanan: Quest for Gold . New York City 1984 ISBN 0-88011-217-4

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Anderson, Gary
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Anderson, Gary Lee (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American athlete, Olympic champion in 1964 and 1968
DATE OF BIRTH October 8, 1939
PLACE OF BIRTH Holdrege , Nebraska