Peter Blanker

Peter Blanker also Piet Blanker (born 1935) is a Dutch Paralympic archer from Rotterdam. He competed at four consecutive Summer Paralympics between 1964 and 1976 and won a total of four silver medals and two bronze medal.

Biography

Before Blanker was impaired, he was a member of the gymnastics club “Ulysses” in Utrecht. During national championship he had an accident that resulted in a partial paralysis. He started archery as part of his rehabilitation process. He continued with archery after his rehabilitation and became a member of the club in Doorn.

At the 1964 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo there were 35 competitors who competed in wheelchair archery. He won the silver medal in the FITA Round open event with 963 points, behind the American Dean Slaugh with 981 points. He also won the silver medal in the Albion Round open event, also behind Dean Slaugh.

Four years later at the 1968 Summer Paralympics in Tel Aviv he competed in the same two events but was not able to win a medal, he finished in the FITA round open event 5th and in the Albion round open event 18th. At the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg he won with the Dutch team the silver medal in the FITA Round Team Open event. In the individual FITA round open event he finished 7th.

At his fourth and last Paralympics, the 1976 Summer Paralympics in Toronto, he won two bronze medals. In archery in the FITA Round Team 2-5 event and in dartchery in the Pairs Open event. He finished seventh in the individual FITA Round Open event.