Dainis Kūla facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Latvian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 28 April 1959 (age 66) Tukums, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union |
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| Height | 1.98 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 90 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country |  Soviet Union |
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| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Javelin throw | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 92.06 m (1980) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Dainis Kūla was born on April 28, 1959, in Tukums, which was then part of the Soviet Union. He is a famous former Latvian javelin thrower. A javelin thrower is an athlete who throws a long, spear-like object called a javelin as far as possible.
Dainis Kūla became well-known for winning a gold medal in javelin throw at the 1980 Summer Olympics. He was the second Latvian to achieve this amazing feat. Besides his Olympic win, he also earned a bronze medal at the World Championships and won two titles at the Universiade games.
Winning Gold at the 1980 Olympics
Before the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Dainis Kūla was throwing the javelin very far. He even threw 92.06 meters, which was his personal best. However, the top favorite for the gold medal was Hungary's Ferenc Paragi, who had set a new world record of 96.72 meters that year.
In the Olympic final, athletes get several chances to throw. Kūla had trouble with his first two throws, which were not counted. This meant his third throw was super important! If it wasn't good, he wouldn't get to continue in the competition.
His third throw went a long way, but it seemed to land flat. For a javelin throw to count, the tip of the javelin must hit the ground first. Even though it looked like his throw landed flat, the officials gave it a "good" signal. This throw was measured at 88.88 meters, which was enough to keep him in the competition. In fact, it put him in the lead!
On his fourth throw, Kūla threw 91.20 meters. This was the only throw in the entire competition that went over 90 meters. This impressive throw secured him the Olympic gold medal! Aleksandr Makarov from the Soviet Union won the silver, and Wolfgang Hanisch from East Germany took the bronze.
At that time, javelins were designed differently, and sometimes it was hard to tell if a throw landed correctly. Kūla's third throw became a topic of discussion because of how it was judged, especially since it helped him win the gold. However, no official protests were ever made about the result.
Later Career and Challenges
Dainis Kūla continued his success, winning a bronze medal at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki. His best throw in that competition was 85.58 meters. This was very close to the silver medal, showing how strong the competition was.
In 1984, Kūla suffered a serious hand injury. After this, he found it harder to achieve the same level of success. In 1988, he left the Soviet team. However, he kept competing internationally, even representing his home country of Latvia at the 1993 World Championships in Athletics in Stuttgart. Although he didn't win any medals there, he continued to be a dedicated athlete.
