Kalevi Kotkas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kalevi Kotkas

Personal information
Full name	Kalevi Kotkas
Nationality	Estonian, Finnish
Born	10 August 1913 Tallinn, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire
Died	24 August 1983(1983-08-24) (aged 70) Vantaa, Finland
Height	194 cm
Weight	100 kg
Sport
Country	Finland
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	High jump, discus throw, shot put
Club	Helsingin Kisa-Veikot
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	HJ – 2.04 m (1936) DT – 51.27 m (1937) SP – 15.55 m (1938)
Medal record Representing  Finland European Championships Gold 1934 Turin High jump Silver 1938 Paris High jump

Kalevi Kotkas (born August 10, 1913 – died August 24, 1983) was an amazing athlete from Finland. He was born in Estonia. He was really good at three different sports: high jump, discus throw, and shot put.

Kalevi made history by becoming the very first European champion in high jump. He won this title in 1934 at a competition in Turin, Italy. He also got to compete in the Olympic Games twice, in 1932 and 1936.

High Jump Highlights

Kalevi Kotkas was especially talented in the high jump. He set four European records in this event. Two of these records, set in Rio de Janeiro in 1934, were not officially recognized.

However, two other records were officially accepted. He jumped 2.03 meters in Helsinki on July 12, 1936. Later that year, on September 1, 1936, he jumped even higher, reaching 2.04 meters in Gothenburg.

Olympic Games Performance

Kalevi competed in the high jump at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. He jumped an impressive 2.00 meters. This was the same height as the athletes who won medals, Dave Albritton and Delos Thurber.

Even though he jumped just as high, Kalevi finished in fourth place. This happened because he needed more tries to clear the height than the medal winners. It was a very close competition!

Winning National Titles

Kalevi Kotkas was a champion in his home country, Finland, too. He won many national titles at the Finnish Athletics Championships.

• High Jump: He was the Finnish champion in high jump for five years in a row: 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, and 1938.
• Discus Throw: He also dominated the discus throw, winning the Finnish championship for six years straight: 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, and 1938.

International Competitions

Kalevi Kotkas represented Finland in several big international sports events.

• 1932 Olympic Games: In Los Angeles, USA, he competed in the discus throw and finished in 7th place.
• 1934 European Championships: In Turin, Italy, he won the gold medal in high jump. He also competed in the discus throw, finishing 10th.
• 1936 Olympic Games: In Berlin, Germany, he placed 4th in the high jump. He also threw the discus but did not qualify for the final round.
• 1938 European Championships: In Paris, France, he earned a silver medal in high jump. He also placed 4th in the discus throw and 11th in the shot put.