Gerd Kanter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gerd Kanter

Personal information
Nationality	Estonian
Born	(1979-05-06) 6 May 1979 (age 46) Tallinn, Estonia
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight	127 kg (280 lb)
Sport
Country	Estonia
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Discus
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	73.38 m (2006)
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 0 1 World Championships 1 2 2 European Championships 0 3 1 Continental Cup 1 0 0 European Throwing Cup 6 0 1 Universiade 1 0 0 Total 10 5 5 Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing Discus Bronze 2012 London Discus World Championships Gold 2007 Osaka Discus Silver 2005 Helsinki Discus Silver 2011 Daegu Discus Bronze 2009 Berlin Discus Bronze 2013 Moscow Discus European Championships Silver 2006 Gothenburg Discus Silver 2012 Helsinki Discus Silver 2014 Zürich Discus Bronze 2016 Amsterdam Discus Continental Cup Gold 2014 Marrakech Discus European Throwing Cup Gold 2003 Gioia Tauro Discus Gold 2004 Marsa Discus Gold 2005 Mersin Discus Gold 2007 Yalta Discus Gold 2008 Split Discus Gold 2009 Tenerife Discus Bronze 2006 Tel Aviv Discus Universiade Gold 2005 İzmir Discus

Gerd Kanter (born May 6, 1979) is a retired athlete from Estonia who was a champion in the discus throw. In this sport, athletes spin around and throw a heavy disc as far as they can. Kanter was one of the best in the world at it.

He won a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics and became a World Champion in 2007. He also won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics. His personal best throw of 73.38 meters is the record for Estonia and the fourth-longest throw in history.

Kanter first competed in the Olympics in 2004. He quickly became a top competitor, winning a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships. He continued to win medals at major events for many years before retiring in 2018.

Athletic Career

Rising to the Top

Gerd Kanter first competed in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, but he didn't make it to the final round. However, the next year, 2005, was a huge year for him. He won silver medals at both the World Championships and the World Athletics Final. He also won gold at the World University Games. This was also the first year he threw the discus over 70 meters, a major milestone for an elite thrower.

In 2006, at a competition in Sweden, Kanter had an amazing performance. He threw the discus over 70 meters four times in one event. His best throw was 73.38 meters. This set a new record for his country, Estonia. At the time, it was the third-farthest throw ever recorded in history.

Olympic and World Champion

In 2007, Kanter won the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, earning him a gold medal. His biggest achievement came the next year at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He won the Olympic gold medal with a throw of 68.82 meters.

He continued to compete at a high level for many years. At the 2009 World Championships, he won a bronze medal. He then won a silver medal at the 2011 World Championships. At the 2012 London Olympics, he won a bronze medal, adding another Olympic honor to his collection. He retired from professional sports after the 2018 season.

Achievements

This table shows some of Gerd Kanter's major accomplishments while representing Estonia.

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Result
Representing  Estonia
2001	European U23 Championships	Amsterdam, Netherlands	5th	57.73 m
2002	European Championships	Munich, Germany	12th	55.14 m
2003	European Throwing Cup	Gioia Tauro, Italy	1st	64.17 m
	World Championships	Paris, France	25th (q)	56.63 m
2004	European Throwing Cup	Marsa, Malta, Malta	1st	63.21 m
	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	19th (q)	60.05 m
	World Athletics Final	Monte Carlo, Monaco	5th	63.28 m
2005	European Throwing Cup	Mersin, Turkey	1st	66.05 m
	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	2nd	68.57 m
	Universiade	İzmir, Turkey	1st	65.29 m
	World Athletics Final	Monte Carlo, Monaco	2nd	66.01 m
2006	European Throwing Cup	Tel Aviv, Israel	3rd	62.55 m
	European Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	2nd	68.03 m
	World Athletics Final	Stuttgart, Germany	2nd	68.47 m
2007	European Throwing Cup	Yalta, Ukraine	1st	65.43 m
	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	1st	68.94 m
	World Athletics Final	Stuttgart, Germany	1st	66.54 m
2008	European Throwing Cup	Split, Croatia	1st	65.25 m
	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	1st	68.82 m
	World Athletics Final	Stuttgart, Germany	1st	68.38 m
2009	European Throwing Cup	Tenerife, Spain	1st	69.70 m
	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	3rd	66.88 m
2010	European Championships	Barcelona, Spain	4th	66.20 m
2011	World Championships	Daegu, South Korea	2nd	66.95 m
2012	European Championships	Helsinki, Finland	2nd	66.53 m
	Olympic Games	London, Great Britain	3rd	68.03 m
2013	World Championships	Moscow, Russia	3rd	65.19 m
2014	European Championships	Zürich, Switzerland	2nd	64.75 m
	Continental Cup	Marrakech, Morocco	1st	64.46 m
2015	World Championships	Beijing, China	4th	64.82 m
2016	European Championships	Amsterdam, Netherlands	3rd	65.27 m
	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	5th	65.10 m
2017	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	12th	60.00 m
2018	European Championships	Berlin, Germany	5th	64.34 m

Honours and Awards

Because of his amazing success, Gerd Kanter received many awards.

• Estonian Sportsman of the Year: He was named the best male athlete in Estonia three times, in 2007, 2008, and 2011.
• European Athlete of the Month: He received this award three times for his outstanding performances.

National Orders

His country, Estonia, also gave him special awards called orders to recognize his achievements.

Order of the Estonian Red Cross, 1st Class: 2009

Order of the White Star, 4th Class: 2006

See also

In Spanish: Gerd Kanter para niños