Francisco Ángel Soriano San Martin facts for kids
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| Nationality | Spanish | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | 28 March 1949 Langreo, Spain |
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| Sport | |||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Spain |
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| Sport | Shooting (SH1-SH2) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Francisco Ángel Soriano San Martín (born March 28, 1949, in Langreo, Asturias, Spain) is a famous Spanish shooter who competed in the Paralympic Games. He is known for winning a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics and a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics. Soriano has participated in many Paralympic Games, showing great dedication to his sport.
Contents
Francisco Soriano's Journey
Early Life and Overcoming Challenges
Francisco Soriano was born on March 28, 1949, in a place called Las Tejeras-Langreo, in Asturias, Spain. When he was 16 years old, he moved to Belgium. At 26, while working for an elevator company, he had an accident. This accident caused an injury to his spine, which meant he would use a wheelchair.
He spent a year recovering in Brussels, with the first few months in bed. By 1982, he was married, and he and his wife decided to move back to Spain. In 2012, he was living in Elche and had retired. Before he started shooting, he tried several other sports for people with disabilities. These included wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, swimming, and archery. He spent three years doing archery.
Discovering Shooting
Francisco Soriano is an SH1 shooter. This means he competes in shooting events while using a wheelchair. After his accident, he tried different sports. A teacher suggested he try shooting. He tried it a few times and then decided to buy his own gun to practice more seriously.
Paralympic Achievements
Early Competitions and Medals
Francisco Soriano quickly became a talented shooter. In 1981, he won first place at the Belgian Championship. He then won a silver medal at the 1986 Stoke Mandeville Games. His first time competing in the Paralympic Games was at the 1988 Summer Paralympics.
In 1989, at the European Championships in Ghent, he won a silver medal. The next year, at the Stoke Mandeville Games in 1990, he earned a gold medal in the 10-meter air pistol event.
Competing for Spain
Soriano represented Spain at the 1992 Summer Paralympics in Barcelona. He was one of only seven Spanish athletes to compete in both the 1992 and 2012 Summer Paralympics. At the Barcelona Games in 1992, he finished fifth.
In 1994, he won a gold medal at the World Championships held in Linz, Austria. The 1995 European Championships in Finland were tough for him, and he didn't win any medals.
Gold and Bronze Medals
Francisco Soriano competed at the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta. This was a very successful year for him! He won a gold medal in the Free Pistol .50 P4, Mixed SH1 competition.
In 1997, at the European Championships in France, he won two bronze medals. He also won a bronze medal in a team event at the 1998 World Championships in Santander.
Soriano continued his success at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney. There, he won a bronze medal in the P4 Pistol 50 meter Mixed SH1 competition. In 2001, he won another gold medal at the European Championship in Denmark. He also won gold at the 2002 World Championships in South Korea and the 2003 European Championship in the Czech Republic.
Later Paralympic Games
Francisco Soriano competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics and the 2008 Summer Paralympics. In 2007, he won a silver medal at the European Championships in Germany.
In May 2012, he competed in the Copa del Rey in Spain. He performed very well, winning the 50-meter SH1 men's pistol event. He also finished first in the 25-meter sport pistol and third in the 10-meter men's air pistol event.
At 63 years old, he competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. He was the most experienced and oldest member of the Spanish Paralympic team. Before these Games, he was already Spain's most decorated Paralympic shooter. He even spoke about wanting to qualify for the 2016 Summer Paralympics. He once said, "I view life as a challenge every single day. If I don't have a dream, the torch's fire will burn out." He participated in the 2013 European Championships held in Spain.
See also
In Spanish: Francisco Ángel Soriano para niños
