{{Short description|Austrian fencer (born 1985)}} {{Infobox fencer | name = René Pranz | image = Hertsyk v Pranz 2014 CIP t111225.jpg | caption = Pranz in 2014 | birth_name = | fullname = | nickname = | nationality = Austrian | residence = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|8|4|df=yes}} | birth_place = Vienna, Austria | weapon = Foil | hand = Right-handed | height = {{convert|1.84|m|ftin|abbr=on}}<ref name="fie">{{cite web|title=Pranz Rene Biography|url=http://fie.html.infostradasports.com/cache/2/TheASP.asp@pageid%3D8937&personid%3D481262&sportid%3D208&Cache%3D2.html?927120|website=infostradasports.com|publisher=Fédération Internationale d'Escrime|accessdate=1 June 2016}}</ref> | weight = {{convert|78|kg|lbs|abbr=on}}<ref name="fie"/> | natlcoach = | formercoach = | club = | headcoach = | country = | retired = | fieranking = [https://fie.org/athletes/7259 current ranking] | medaltemplates = }}
'''René Pranz''' (born 4 August 1985) is an Austrian fencer, specialising in the foil, who competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
==Personal life== Pranz was born on 4 August 1985 in Vienna, Austria. He studied for a degree in economics and law at the University of Salzburg.<ref name="fie"/>
==Fencing== At the 2006 European Fencing Championships in İzmir, Turkey, Pranz was part of an Austrian squad that finished eighth in the team foil event.<ref name="fie"/> At the 2006 World Fencing Championships he placed 48th in the individual foil; in 2007 he was 64th, in 2009 he was 26th and in 2010 he finished 51st.<ref name="ranks">{{cite web|title=Pranz Rene Rankings and Results|url=http://fie.org/fencers/fencer/7259|publisher=Fédération Internationale d'Escrime|accessdate=1 June 2016}}</ref>
At the 2011 European Fencing Championships in Sheffield, United Kingdom, he placed seventh in the individual foil.<ref name="fie"/> The same year he finished 44th in the individual event at the World Championships.<ref name="ranks"/> At the 2013 World Championships he finished 39th. He competed at the 2013 Summer Universiade games held in Kazan, Russia. In the individual foil he defeated Noriyuki Nagashima of Japan 15–13 in the round of 64 and then Italy's Tobia Biondo 15–13 in the last 32, before being eliminated in the round of 16 after an 11–15 defeat to Italian Daniele Garozzo.<ref name="kazan">{{cite web|title=Pranz Rene Athlete Information|url=http://universiade2013.sportresult.com/eurosport/en/-120/Participant/ParticipantInfo/437e1f68-0c9d-42f3-8fde-dadfa536e691|publisher=27th Summer Universiade Kazan 2013 Official Website|accessdate=1 June 2016}}</ref> Pranz placed 28th in the individual foil at the 2014 World Fencing Championships and was 55th at the 2015 championships.<ref name="ranks"/>
He competed at the 2015 European Games held in Baku, Azerbaijan. Competing in Pool B of the men's foil he won all five of his pool matches to advance to the round of 16 where he was eliminated after losing 8–15 to Dmitry Zherebchenko of Russia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Athletes Rene Pranz|url=http://www.baku2015.com/athletes/athlete/PRANZ-Rene-1014721/index.html?intcmp=ev-match|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803093145/http://www.baku2015.com/athletes/athlete/PRANZ-Rene-1014721/index.html?intcmp=ev-match|url-status=usurped|archive-date=August 3, 2016|website=baku2015.com|publisher=Baku 2015 European Games official website|accessdate=1 June 2016}}</ref>
In April 2016 Pranz defeated Turkish fencer Martino Minuto in the final of the European Olympic zonal qualification tournament held in Prague, Czech Republic.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fechter Pranz jubelt über das Olympiaticket|url=http://www.salzburg.com/nachrichten/salzburg/sport/sn/artikel/fechter-pranz-jubelt-ueber-das-olympiaticket-192539/|accessdate=1 June 2016|work=Salzburger Nachrichten|date=17 April 2016|language=German}}</ref> This result qualified him as part of the Austrian team for the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he competed in the men's individual foil event.<ref name="radio">{{cite news|title=Rio: Fechter Pranz erfüllt sich Lebenstraum|url=http://salzburg.orf.at/news/stories/2769439/|accessdate=1 June 2016|work=Radio Salzburg|date=19 April 2016|language=German}}</ref> Pranz is the only Austrian fencer to have qualified for Rio.<ref name="radio"/> He was eliminated by Brazilian fencer Guilherme Toldo in the round of 64.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/rio-2016/results/sports/fencing/mens-foil-individual|title=Results - Mens Foil Individual - Fencing - Rio 2016 Olympics|website=BBC Sport|access-date=20 June 2017|archive-date=2 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002220142/http://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/rio-2016/results/sports/fencing/mens-foil-individual|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pranz, Rene}} Category:Living people Category:1985 births Category:Austrian foil fencers Category:Fencers from Vienna Category:University of Salzburg alumni Category:Fencers at the 2015 European Games Category:Olympic fencers for Austria Category:Fencers at the 2016 Summer Olympics Category:Austrian male fencers Category:European Games competitors for Austria Category:21st-century Austrian sportsmen