KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand shooting fraternity is mourning the loss of Olympic medallist Ian Ballinger, who died on Christmas Eve aged 83.
Ballinger is the only New Zealander to win an Olympic shooting medal, claiming bronze in the 50m rifle prone event at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.
He was also the first shooter sent to a Games from this country and was the oldest member of that team at 43.
Ballinger went on to compete at two more Olympics - Munich in 1972 and Montreal in 1976 - as well as the 1974 and 1978 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch and Edmonton.
He continued to compete at a high level until he was in his mid-50s.
In Mexico City, Ballinger rattled off scores of 98, 100, 100, 99, 100 to equal his personal best total of 597.
Then he had an anxious wait as the other smallbore competitors finished.
A Czech, Jan Kurka, and a Hungarian, Laszlo Hammerl, both shot 598 and Kurka won the gold on the countback.
Behind them, Ballinger took the bronze on a countback from Romanian Nicolae Rotaru and he later went on to be awarded New Zealand's prestigious Olympic prize for that year, the Lonsdale Cup.
Born in New Plymouth, Ballinger worked in the automotive spare parts trade in Taranaki until 1950 when he moved to Nelson.
A few years later he shifted to Christchurch.
After some years in the sports good industry, he and Maurie Brons started Brons and Ballinger, building a successful business selling firearms.
Ballinger bought out Brons in 1961 and headed the company until retiring in 1981.
Ian Ballinger Ltd, as it became, was later managed by his son-in-law.
Ballinger is the most famous name in New Zealand shooting.
The Ballinger Belt is New Zealand's premier rifle shooting prize, with the family's link to the event beginning when corporal William Ballinger won it in 1879.
Arthur Ballinger won the belt three times, in 1893, 1897 and 1907.
Ian Ballinger won the belt in 1969, representing the Sydenham club, and the family tradition continued in 1996 when his son Graeme of the Levin club was victorious.
Ballinger, who lived latterly in Kaiapoi, is survived by Graeme and seven other children.
- NZPA
