GUNS Magazine September 1956

his 17-war-old protege. ~oumanian marksman George Lichiardopol took third in the five-place rapid-fire' pistol course.
A native of Budapest, Takacs showed an unusual interest
in guns even at an early age. Young Karoly played for
hours with his toy soldiers and guns, and it was only
natural when he grew older that he should choose a military
career. Takacs set about to master the art of shooting
with the same single-minded determination that was eventually
to make him a champion. He soon became an expert
with the military rifle and rose to the rank of sergeant.
As a non-commissioned officer in the old Hungarian
army, however, Takacs was given little encouragement to
pursue his major interest. Still, he practiced whenever he
got the chance and by 1939 he was regarded as one of the'
best marksmen in Hungary. Somewhere along the line he
developed a special interest in pistols and his ability with
small arms soon surpassed his skill with the rifle. His goal
then was to shoot in the Olympic Games the following
year.
But the outbreak of World War I1 thwarted the young
non-com's ambition. The 1940 Olympiad , was cancelled
A
and the great quadrennial sports event was postponed for
the duration. Sergeant Takacs was made an instructor
and assigned to teach the rudiments of pistol shooting to
recruits. His wartime duties enabled him to practice daily
and he sharpened his technique by engaging fellow soldiers
in contests. Eagerly he looked forward to the war's end
and a chance toahnnt in international matches. Although
Hungary was a belligerent, she was to be given an oppor-
tunity to participate in the games scheduled to be held in
London.
Then, a cruel twist of fate crushed the fondest dream of
the young marksman. Like many another soldier, Takacs
became a war casualty-but not on the battlefield. A gre-
nade blew up in his hand, and when he awoke in the
hospital he learned that his mangled right hand had been
amputated. To a man who had won fame and an enviable
reputation by the skill of his gun hand, this discovery was
a fate worse than death.
The mental anguish he suffered during the weeks he lay
in the hospital can only be imagined, and after his recovery
Takacs dropped completely out of sight. It was almost as
if he were trying to hide from prying eyes. He seemed to
be engaged in some mysterious project and even his friends
could not understand his strange actions.
Months later, the whole world learned the secret at the
Olympic Games in London. Takacs stood on the winner's
stand to receive his gold medal after scoring a remarkable
580 in the rapid-fire pistol event~shooting with his left
hand.
Takacs' triumph over his physical handicap is all the
more remarkable considering his volatile personality and
a supply of nervous energy that seems uncontrollable. The
months of painstaking practice with his left hand to regain