Romuald Iosifovich Klim ( be, Рамуальд Язэпавіч Клім, russian: Ромуальд Иосифович Клим, 25 May 1933 – 28 May 2011) was a

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

hammer throw The hammer throw is one of the four throwing events in regular track and field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and javelin. The "hammer" used in this sport is not like any of the tools also called by that name. It consist ...

er. He competed at the 1964 and 1968 Olympics and won a gold and a silver medal, respectively. Klim was awarded the

Order of the Badge of Honor The Order of the Badge of Honour (russian: орден «Знак Почёта», orden "Znak Pochyota") was a civilian award of the Soviet Union. It was established on 25 November 1935, and was conferred on citizens of the USSR for outstanding ...

in 1965. Klim was born in a farmer's family. He started training in hammer throw around 1955, but became noticed only in 1963, after winning the Riga Cup and finishing second at the 1963 Soviet Championships. In those years Klim was lighter (ca. 90 kg) and physically weaker than elite Soviet throwers, but he had a strong mental balance and a superior throwing technique; he added weight only after joining the national team. The 1964 Olympics were his first international competitions. After three attempts he was third behind

Gyula Zsivótzky Gyula Zsivótzky (25 February 1937 – 29 September 2007) was a Hungarian hammer thrower. He won a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics, silvers in 1960 and 1964, and finished fifth in 1972. Zsivótzky set two world record: one in 1965 and the othe ...

and world record holder Hal Connolly, but then threw and won a surprising gold medal. After that Klim won the 1966 European Championships, the European Cup in 1965 and 1967, and three Soviet Championships (1966–1968). He finished second at the 1968 Games behind Zsivótzky, who had been his main rival all those years. In 1969 Klim finished second at the 1969 European Championships and set his only world record (74.52 m). He retired in 1973 to become an athletics coach and referee. From 1989 until his death he was professor at the Belorussian Academy of Physical Culture and Sports. Since 1976 a hammer throwing competition has been held in his honor in Minsk. Klim was married and had two twin sons born in 1960.

References

1933 births 2011 deaths People from Nesvizh District Soviet male hammer throwers Belarusian male hammer throwers Olympic athletes of the Soviet Union Olympic gold medalists for the Soviet Union Olympic silver medalists for the Soviet Union Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1968 Summer Olympics European Athletics Championships medalists Armed Forces sports society athletes Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field) Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field) Sportspeople from Minsk Region {{Belarus-athletics-bio-stub