Romuald Klim, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetRomuald Klim
Belarusian hammer thrower, Olympic champion for Soviet Union
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Khvoyeva, Belarus
About Romuald Klim
- Romuald Iosifovich Klim (Belarusian: ???????? ???????? ????, Russian: ???????? ????????? ????, 25 May 1933 – 28 May 2011) was a Soviet hammer thrower.
- 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 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 and world record holder Hal Connolly, but then threw 69.74 m (228.8 ft) 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.
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