Hubert Van Innis

{{short description|Belgian archer}}

{{use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Gerardus Theodorus Hubertus Van Innis

| image = Hubert Van Innis (cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1866|2|24}}

| birth_place = Elewijt, Belgium

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1961|11|25|1866|2|24}}

| death_place = Zemst, Belgium

| nationality = {{BEL}}

| other_names =

| known_for =

| sport = Archery

|medaltemplates =

{{Medal|Comp|Olympic Games}}

{{Medal|Gold| 1900 Paris|Cordon Doré 33 m}}

{{Medal|Gold| 1900 Paris|Chapelet 33 m}}

{{Medal|Gold|1920 Antwerp|Moving Bird 28 m}}

{{Medal|Gold|1920 Antwerp|Moving Bird 33 m}}

{{Medal|Gold|1920 Antwerp|50 m Team}}

{{Medal|Gold|1920 Antwerp|33 m Team}}

{{Medal|Silver|1900 Paris|Cordon Doré 50 m}}

{{Medal|Silver|1920 Antwerp|Moving Bird 50 m}}

{{Medal|Silver|1920 Antwerp|28 m Team}}

}}

Gerard Theodor Hubert Van Innis (24 February 1866 – 25 November 1961) was a Belgian competitor in the sport of archery; he competed in two Summer Olympics 20 years apart and came away with a total of six gold medals and three silver medals.{{cite web|title=Hubert Van Innis, Bio|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/va/hubert-van-innis-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417162225/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/va/hubert-van-innis-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 April 2020|website=Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|accessdate=6 April 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/333 |title=Hubert Van Innis |work=Olympedia |accessdate=21 December 2020}}

As a young boy, the story goes he was forced to work as a milk delivery boy in the villages around Brussels, and at the end of his deliveries he would send his dog and cart home while he went off to practice his archery skills.{{cite web|title=Best Olympic Archers Of All-Time: #4 Hubert Van Innis|url=https://worldarchery.org/news/141566/best-olympic-archers-all-time-4-hubert-van-innis|website=worldarchery.org|date=16 June 2016 |accessdate=6 April 2017}}

When he was 13 years old, he won the first prize in a main competition in Antwerp. He also won the prize in 1893, 1894, 1895 and 1896.{{Cite news|url=https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?coll=ddd&identifier=MMSADB01:000014875:mpeg21:a0029|title=Gevonden in Delpher - Provinciale Noordbrabantsche en 's Hertogenbossche courant|newspaper=Provinciale Noordbrabantsche en 'S Hertogenbossche Courant|date=21 July 1900 }} In 1881, he won the royan prize of Roozendaal.{{Clarify|reason=What is a royan prize? Is it a royal prize? Lost in translation?|date=August 2024}}

Van Innis was 34 years old when he competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics held in Paris, France. He entered four events; he won gold medals in the Au Cordon Doré 33 metres{{cite web|title=Archery at the 1900 Paris Summer Games: Men's Au Cordon Doré, 33 metres|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1900/ARC/mens-au-cordon-dore-33-metres.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418124416/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1900/ARC/mens-au-cordon-dore-33-metres.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2020|website=Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|accessdate=6 April 2017}} and the Au Chapelet 33 metres{{cite web|title=Archery at the 1900 Paris Summer Games: Men's Au Chapelet, 33 metres|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1900/ARC/mens-au-chapelet-33-metres.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418124417/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1900/ARC/mens-au-chapelet-33-metres.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2020|website=Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|accessdate=6 April 2017}} events, and he also came second behind Frenchman Henri Hérouin in the Au Cordon Doré 50 metres.{{cite web|title=Archery at the 1900 Paris Summer Games: Men's Au Cordon Doré, 50 metres|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1900/ARC/mens-au-cordon-dore-50-metres.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418124416/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1900/ARC/mens-au-cordon-dore-50-metres.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2020|website=Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|accessdate=6 April 2017}} His worst result of the Games was a fourth place in the Au Chapelet 50 metres.{{cite web|title=Archery at the 1900 Paris Summer Games: Men's Au Chapelet, 50 metres|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1900/ARC/mens-au-chapelet-50-metres.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418124417/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1900/ARC/mens-au-chapelet-50-metres.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2020|website=Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|accessdate=8 April 2017}}

Van Innis had to wait another twenty years before competing on the Olympic stage.{{Why|date=August 2024}} Aged 54, he entered the 1920 Summer Olympics held on his home soil in Antwerp, Belgium, where he added to his medal tally with two more individual gold medals in the Individual moving bird, 28 metres, beating Frenchman Léonce Quentin (his only competitor in this event){{cite web|title=Archery at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games: Men's Target Archery, 28 metres, Individual|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1920/ARC/mens-target-archery-28-metres-individual.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418124417/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1920/ARC/mens-target-archery-28-metres-individual.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2020|website=Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|accessdate=8 April 2017}} and the Individual moving bird, 33 metres.{{cite web|title=Archery at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games: Men's Target Archery, 33 metres, Individual|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1920/ARC/mens-target-archery-33-metres-individual.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417195801/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1920/ARC/mens-target-archery-33-metres-individual.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 April 2020|website=Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|accessdate=8 April 2017}} He then lost to Frenchman Julien Brulé in the Individual moving bird, 50 metres, to win a silver medal.{{cite web|title=Archery at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games: Men's Target Archery, 50 metres, Individual|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1920/ARC/mens-target-archery-50-metres-individual.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417195801/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1920/ARC/mens-target-archery-50-metres-individual.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 April 2020|website=Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|accessdate=8 April 2017}} He also added three team medals with two more golds in the Team moving bird, 50 metres;{{cite web|title=Archery at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games: Men's Target Archery, 50 metres, Team|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1920/ARC/mens-target-archery-50-metres-team.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417195801/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1920/ARC/mens-target-archery-50-metres-team.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 April 2020|website=Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|accessdate=8 April 2017}} Team moving bird, 33 metres;{{cite web|title=Archery at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games: Men's Target Archery, 33 metres, Team|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1920/ARC/mens-target-archery-33-metres-team.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417195800/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1920/ARC/mens-target-archery-33-metres-team.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 April 2020|website=Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|accessdate=8 April 2017}} and a silver medal in the Team moving bird, 28 metres.{{cite web|title=Archery at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games: Men's Target Archery, 28 metres, Team|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1920/ARC/mens-target-archery-28-metres-team.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417195800/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1920/ARC/mens-target-archery-28-metres-team.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 April 2020|website=Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|accessdate=8 April 2017}} His final Olympic medal tally was six gold medals and three silver medals.

Unbelievably—when aged 67 years old, 13 years after his final Olympic victories—he went on to win in the 1933 World Championships.

His legacy has continued through his family; his great-grandson Philippe Prieels has competed in the World Archery Championships, and his great-great-granddaughter Sarah Prieels has also competed in the World Archery Championships.