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Rapid hre targets for Olympic shooting are silhouettes marked in oval scoring rings. Finnish soldiers at 1952 Olympics<br />
where Takacs shot change targets on carriers which flip sideways to end firing when time is up for competitor.<br />
his shooting skill was a task that called for almost super-<br />
human will power and self control. Karl T. Frederick,<br />
captain and manager of the U.S. team, remembers Takacs<br />
as "an excitable, nervous fellow who jumps around a lot.<br />
As a matter of fact you have to keep an eye on him when<br />
he's up there on the firing line."<br />
A New York attorney, who won the free-pistol match<br />
in the 1920 Olympics, Frederick concedes, "Takacs is a<br />
whiz on rapid-fire, and the man is certainly full of con-<br />
fidence."<br />
Confidence is without a doubt one of the square-jawed<br />
champion's strong points. After the London match when<br />
he was interviewed by a correspondent of the Hungarian<br />
Radio, Takacs laid aside his still-smoking pistol and pulled<br />
a piece of paper from his pocket. It was a victory state-<br />
ment he had prepared in advance.<br />
Then, four years later in Helsinki, our own W. W.<br />
McMillan scored a high of 290 for the first day and Takacs<br />
stood fifth. Even some of his teammates expressed the<br />
opinion that the Hungarian ace did not dare write a<br />
victory statement beforehand this time. But on the second<br />
day of the match, Takacs shot well enough to rack up a<br />
winning 579 and once again pulled out his prepared<br />
statement.<br />
His talents have not gone unrewarded. Not only has he<br />
full of prizes and medals, (Continued on page 67)<br />
Takacs will shoot left-handed in Melbourne Olympics<br />
at rapid fire targets like these on 25-meter range.
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