Antonio Rebollo

Antonio Rebollo Liñán (born 19 June 1955, in Madrid, Spain) is a Spanish Paralympic archer. During the Opening Ceremony of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, he lit the Olympic Cauldron by shooting a flaming arrow over it, igniting the gases.[1]

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Rebollo and the second or maternal family name is Liñá.

Life and career

When Rebollo was eight months old, he contracted polio with both legs affected, the right one severely. He was quoted as saying "I simply wanted to do things that challenge me." He was one of 200 archers considered. There were sunrise practices, along with wind machines to simulate various weather conditions, and flaming arrows that would often singe fingers. He was among four finalists, and was chosen just two hours prior to the release of his arrow.[2]

There were no fears. I was practically a robot. I focused on my positioning and reaching the target. My feelings were taken from the people who described to me how they saw it. What they felt, their emotions, their cries. This is what made me realise what the moment actually meant.

— Antonio Rebollo, in a segment with NBC about the lighting of the cauldron during the opening ceremony of the 1992 Summer Olympics.[2]

Rebollo represented Spain at the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Summer Paralympics. He won a silver in 1984, bronze in 1988, and a second silver in 1992.

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References
  1. "Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics | Olympic Video News Medals". Olympic.org. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
  2. "Antonio Rebello - Paralympic Archer". YouTube. 2006-11-03. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
Olympic Games
Preceded by
Michel Platini & François-Cyrille Grange		 Final Olympic torchbearer
Barcelona 1992		 Succeeded by
Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway
Preceded by
Chung Sun-Man, Sohn Mi-Chung, & Kim Won-Tak		 Final Summer Olympic torchbearer
Barcelona 1992		 Succeeded by
Muhammad Ali
Preceded by
Luc Sabatier		 Final Paralympic Torchbearer
with Coral Bistuer
Barcelona 1992		 Succeeded by
Helge Bjørnstad
Preceded by
Lee Jae-oon & Kiifi Hyun-mi		 Final Summer Paralympic Torchbearer
with Coral Bistuer
Barcelona 1992		 Succeeded by
Mark Wellman


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