Jānis Daliņš (5 November 1904 – 11 June 1978) was a Latvian race walker. Competing in the 50 km event he won a silver medal at the 1932 Olympics, becoming the first Latvian to win an Olympic medal. He also won the 1934 European title and set seven world records in the 1930s. At the 1936 Olympics he led the race at 30 km, but abandoned the race due to a leg injury.

Biography

Daliņš started late, and had his first competition at the age of 22. A few months later he set a Latvian record in the 5000 m walk. In 1932, he set his first world record, over the 25 mile distance. After the 1936 Olympics Dāliņš semi-retired from athletics to work on his farm and raise his family. He resumed competing around 1940, and won the Latvian championships in 1942. In 1944 he moved from Latvia to Germany, where in 1947 he won his last race. In 1949 Dāliņš migrated to Australia, together wife Ella, daughter Rudite, and sons Ivars and Jānis. He was initially placed in the

Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre The Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre was a camp set up for receiving and training migrants to Australia during the post World War II immigration boom. The camp was set on near Wodonga at the locality of Bonegilla in north east ...

in north east

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. Jānis worked as a carpenter in the rural town of

Benalla Benalla is a small city located on the Broken River gateway to the High Country north-eastern region of Victoria, Australia, about north east of the state capital Melbourne. At the the population was 10,822. It is the administrative centr ...

building many homes in post-war Australia. After completing his contracted time working in Benalla, he moved his family to

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. There he raised his children, enjoyed his favorite hobby (fishing) and managed a sports club from 1959 to 1964. In 1932 he was awarded the

Order of the Three Stars Order of the Three Stars ( lv, Triju Zvaigžņu ordenis) is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of the founding of Latvia. Its motto is "Per aspera ad astra", meaning "Thr ...

5th Class.

Legacy

Daliņš' success made race walking one of the most popular athletics disciplines in Latvia, with two more Latvians winning Olympic medals:

Adalberts Bubenko Adalberts Bubenko (16 January 1910 – 7 July 1983) was a Latvian athlete, who competed mainly in the 50 kilometre walk. He competed for Latvia in the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin, Germany Germany,, officially the Feder ...

in 1936 and

Aigars Fadejevs Aigars Fadejevs (born December 27, 1975) is a former Latvian Athletics (sport), athlete, competing in 20 km, 50 km walk and marathon running, and a rehabilitologist for sprinters. Fadejevs competed in 1996 Summer Olympics, finishing 6th in ...

in 2000. Daliņš is regarded as the best athlete of pre-

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Latvia. A phrase: "''Ak, kaut man Daliņa kājas būtu''" ("''Oh, if only I had Daliņš' legs''", originally the title of a 1930s song) remains widely known in Latvia. Daliņš remains a well-known name in Latvia, with a stadium and a street in his hometown of Valmiera bearing his name.

References

External links

* * * 1904 births 1978 deaths People from Valmiera Latvian male racewalkers Athletes (track and field) at the 1932 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists for Latvia World record setters in athletics (track and field) Latvian World War II refugees Latvian emigrants to Australia Athletes from Melbourne European Athletics Championships medalists Medalists at the 1932 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field) {{Latvia-athletics-bio-stub