Frans Lafortune

Although never a professional sportsman, Frans Lafortune became one of the most prolific Olympians of all-time when he represented Belgium at seven consecutive Games. Lafortune followed in the footsteps of his father Jacques, taking up small-bore rifle shooting as a hobby. He made his Olympic début at the 1952 Games in Helsinki, competing in the 50 metre three positions and the 50 metre prone events, finishing 23rd and 42nd, respectively. He would go on to participate in the same two events for the next six Olympics, finishing with the 1976 Games in Montréal. Never a contender for a medal, Lafortune’s best result came in the prone event at the 1968 Mexico City Games where he finished 10th. His seven Olympic appearances were a Belgian record until table tennis player Jean-Michel Saive equalled it in 2012.

Lafortune’s best result at an international competition came at the 1958 World Championships in Moskva where he won bronze. Away from sports shooting he studied medicine, working as the chief physician at the Ministry of Public Health, as well as the Red Cross.

His extended family had vast Olympic experience. His father represented Belgium at five Olympic Games in sports shooting with a career that spanned from 1924 to 1960. His uncle Marcel competed in pistol and rifle shooting at four Olympics from 1936 to 1960, whilst another uncle, Hubert, won silver as a gymnast in the team competition at the 1920 Antwerpen Games, and Lafortune’s daughter-in-law Heidi Rakels won bronze in judo at the 1992 Barcelona Games before competing again at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.