Jānis Daliņš

Please add an image!
Birth Date:
05.11.1904
Death date:
11.06.1978
Length of life:
73
Days since birth:
43636
Years since birth:
119
Days since death:
16756
Years since death:
45
Extra names:
Jānis Daliņš, Jānis Dāliņš, Dalins, Daliņš, Далиньш
Categories:
, Builder, Businessman, Farmer, Joiner, woodworker, Order of the Three Stars (Latvia), Sportsman
Nationality:
 latvian
Cemetery:
Valmiera, Centra kapi jeb pilsētas kapi

Jānis Daliņš (5 November 1904 in Valmiera, Livonian Governorate – 11 June 1978 in Melbourne, Australia) was a Latvian athlete who competed in race walking.

Jānis Daliņš was the first Latvian to win a silver medal at the Olympic Games, in the 50 km race walk at the 1932 Summer Olympics. He also won the European Championships in the same distance in 1934 and set world records in several race walking distances. Daliņš' success made race walking one of the most popular athletics disciplines in Latvia, with two more Latvians winning Olympic medals: Adalberts Bubenko at the 1936 Summer Olympics and Aigars Fadejevs at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Daliņš is regarded as the best athlete of pre-World War II Latvia. A phrase: "Ak, kaut man Daliņa kājas būtu" ("Oh, if only I had Dalins' legs", originally the title of a 1930s song) remains widely known in Latvia. Daliņš continues to remain a well known name in Latvia, with the stadium and a street in Valmiera retaining his name to this day.

In fleeing the Soviet Union's invasion of Latvia, Daliņš took his young family (wife Ella, sons Ivars and Jānis, daughter Rudite) to Australia, arriving on SS Skaugum in August 1949. He was initially placed in the Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre in north east Victoria. Jānis worked as a carpenter in the rural town of Benalla building many homes in post-war Australia. After completing his contracted time working in Benalla, he moved his family to Melbourne. There he raised his children, enjoyed his favourite hobby (fishing) and saw 7 grandchildren born.

Source: wikipedia.org

No places

    loading...

        Relations

        Relation nameRelation typeBirth DateDeath dateDescription
        1
        Jānis DaliņšFather20.06.186507.08.1944
        2
        Kristīne DaliņaMother09.03.187626.01.1966
        3
        Roberts DaliņšBrother00.00.190228.11.1941
        4Elza DaliņaElza DaliņaWife09.12.191115.05.1997
        Tags