Daniel Repacholi (born 15 May 1982) is an Australian sport shooter and politician who has competed at four Olympic Games.[4] He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and was elected as a member for the New South Wales seat of Hunter in the 2022 election following the retirement of Joel Fitzgibbon.[5][2]

Daniel Repacholi
Repacholi c. 2022
Member of the
Australian Parliament
for Hunter
Assumed office
21 May 2022
Preceded byJoel Fitzgibbon
Personal details
Born (1982-05-15) 15 May 1982 (age 42)
Carlton, Victoria
Political partyLabor (since 2021)
OccupationCoal miner,[1] small business owner,[2] Politician
Sports career
National teamAustralia
Height202 cm (6 ft 8 in)[3]
Weight130 kg (287 lb)[3]
SportSport shooting
Coached byVladimir Galiabovitch
Medal record
Representing  Australia
Men's shooting
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2006 Melbourne 50m pistol pairs
Gold medal – first place 2014 Glasgow 10m air pistol
Gold medal – first place 2018 Gold Coast 50m pistol
Bronze medal – third place 2006 Melbourne 10m air pistol pairs
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Delhi 10m air pistol
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Glasgow 50m pistol

Repacholi is a former coalminer[1][6] and runs a small engineering business with 60 employees[2][6] in the Hunter Valley. He is a member of the Cessnock Hall of Fame, having been inducted in May 2020 for services to sport.[7][1]

Early life

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Repacholi has competed as a sports shooter since he was 12 years old.[7] He started a trade apprenticeship at 15.[2]

Shooting career

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He competed in the 10 metre air pistol, finishing in equal 36th place, and the 50 metre pistol, finishing 23rd, at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, he competed in the same events, finishing 31st in the 10 metre air pistol, and 40th in the 50 metre pistol. At the 2012 London Olympics he again competed in the two pistol events, finishing 28th in the 10 metre air pistol and 19th in the 50 metre pistol.[8][9]

Repacholi won a gold medal and a bronze medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.[10] At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, Repacholi won a bronze medal. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Repacholi won a gold medal in the 10m Air Pistol and bronze in the 50m Pistol events.[11]

Repacholi qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics where he competed in the individual and team 10m air pistol events. He did not score sufficient points to advance past qualification.[12]

Political career

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In October 2021, Repacholi was selected as the Australian Labor Party candidate for the Division of Hunter for the 2022 Australian federal election.[5] He was endorsed by the Labor leader Anthony Albanese and the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU).[13][14] Some rank and file Labor members were angry with the lack of a rank and file vote to choose Repacholi as a candidate, in addition to his support of coal mining.[15][16]

Views

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Repacholi has stated a focus on supporting the mining industry,[1] and improving employment opportunities for tradesmen, trainees and apprentices.[2] Repacholi has suggested that opponents of coal mining should "sit in the dark and freeze” in winter.[16]

After competing in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India, Repacholi described the country as a "shit hole" on social media. He has also published sexually explicit comments on social media and followed Instagram accounts featuring naked women posing with assault rifles and near-naked women in sexually provocative poses.[17][18][15] Repacholi has apologised publicly for making these comments and deleted his Instagram account.[19][20]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Miners aim for a shooter in Hunter". 14 September 2021. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Labor candidate for Hunter Daniel Repacholi on why he is running for Federal Parliament". 1 October 2021. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Daniel Repacholi". Athlete profile. Gold Coast 2018. Archived from the original on 12 April 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  4. ^ Olympic results
  5. ^ a b "Climate, leadership, jobs: Albo lays out Labor's battle plan". 14 October 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Labor captain's pick for Hunter followed sexually suggestive, gun-toting Instagram profiles". 22 September 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Daniel Repacholi Sports Shooter".
  8. ^ "Repacholi finishes 28th in 10m pistol". Archived from the original on 14 March 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  9. ^ "London 2012 50m pistol 60 shots men Results - Olympic shooting". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  10. ^ "Australians shoot to gold". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  11. ^ "Biography – Daniel Repacholi". www.g2014results.thecgf.com. 8 August 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  12. ^ "Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo 2021". The Roar. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  13. ^ Bashan, Yoni (17 September 2021). "Labor candidate Daniel Repacholi sorry for explicit posts". The Australian. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. (subscription required)
  14. ^ "Labor member to run as independent in Hunter to protest at 'captain's pick' of Daniel Repacholi". The Guardian. 22 September 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  15. ^ a b Bernasconi, Amelia (28 September 2021). "Labor candidate for Hunter Daniel Repacholi on his campaign focus, and the controversy of his selection". ABC Upper Hunter. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  16. ^ a b "Labor candidate's social media taunt aimed at coalmining opponents stokes preselection anger". The Guardian. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  17. ^ "'I am not a misogynistic prick,' pleads Labor nominee for Hunter". Canberra Times. 24 September 2021. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  18. ^ "Labor captain's pick for Hunter followed sexually suggestive, gun-toting Instagram profiles". The Guardian. 21 September 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  19. ^ Bashan, Yoni (17 September 2021). "Labor candidate Daniel Repacholi sorry for explicit posts". The Australian. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. (subscription required)
  20. ^ "Labor member to run as independent in Hunter to protest at 'captain's pick' of Daniel Repacholi". The Guardian. 22 September 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
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Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Member for Hunter
2022–present
Incumbent