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, Latvia. He is a famous former javelin thrower. For most of his sports career, he represented the Soviet Union. He is best known for winning a gold medal in javelin throw at the 1980 Summer Olympics. He was the second person from Latvia to win this Olympic event. Dainis Kūla also won a bronze medal at the World Championships. He was a champion in the Soviet Union three times and won the Universiade competition twice.
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Dainis Kūla at the 1980 Summer Olympics
Dainis Kūla trained hard for the 1980 Summer Olympics. He threw the javelin 90.30 meters during practice. Before the Olympics, he threw it even farther, reaching 92.06 meters. This was his best throw ever in practice. Many people thought Ferenc Paragi from Hungary would win. Paragi had set a new world record of 96.72 meters in April that year.
The Javelin Final in Moscow
At the Olympics in Moscow, Dainis Kūla easily passed the first round. But in the final, his first two throws were not counted. Only the top eight throwers out of twelve could have all six attempts. This meant his third throw was very important.
His third throw went far. However, it seemed to land flat and did not stick into the ground. This usually means the throw is not valid. But the officials raised a white flag, saying the throw was good. It was measured at 88.88 meters. This throw was good enough to move him into the next rounds. It even put him in the lead at that moment.
On his fourth throw, Kūla threw 91.20 meters. This was the only throw in the competition that went over 90 meters. This amazing throw won him the Olympic gold medal. Aleksandr Makarov, also from the Soviet Union, won the silver medal. Wolfgang Hanisch from East Germany took the bronze. Ferenc Paragi, who was expected to win, finished in 10th place.
Controversy at the Olympics
In those days, the javelin design sometimes made throws land flat. This could lead to confusing decisions by officials. Dainis Kūla's gold medal win became famous because of the controversy. Some people thought the officials favored their own Soviet athlete. There were rumors that stadium gates were opened to help Soviet throwers with the wind. Also, some believed Kūla's important third throw was not measured correctly. However, no official complaints were made about these events.
Dainis Kūla's Later Career
Dainis Kūla won another big medal in 1983. He earned a bronze medal at the World Championships in Helsinki. His best throw in the rainy final was 85.58 meters. This was just two centimeters less than the silver medal throw by Tom Petranoff from America. Petranoff had set a new world record of 99.72 meters earlier that year. Detlef Michel of East Germany won the gold medal.
In 1984, Dainis Kūla had a serious hand injury. After this, he was not as successful in competitions. In 1988, he left the Soviet team. However, he continued to compete internationally. He even represented his home country, Latvia, at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart. But he did not achieve much success there. None of his throws went past 75 meters.
See also
In Spanish: Dainis Kūla para niños
