Romuald Klim

Romuald Klim Iosifovich (Russian Ромуальд Иосифович Клим; born May 25, 1933 Chwoewo, russ Хвоево in Nyasvizh; † 28 May 2011) was a Soviet athlete of Belarusian origin. The hammer thrower won at international events in the 1960s, four gold and two silver medals and threw a world record.

Career

Romuald Klim wanted to be an officer in the Baltic fleet originally, but was deemed unsuitable. He began training at the Belarusian State Institute of Physical Culture, where he joined the Yevgeny Schukewitsch, the trainer of the famous hammer thrower Mikhail Kriwonosow, led department launcher. After he had come with ball and discus at distances of 12 and 37 m, showed that his real talent lay in the hammer throw. Although his performance in strength training were not outstanding - in the snatch and jerk he brought with him 75 or 130 kg 40 kg less for the high-range than his colleagues - his coach assured him again and again, not the raw power, but the rhythm is for a hammer thrower crucial. Up Klim dominated them, but some years passed: only in 1963, when he was already 30 years old, he was inducted into the national team. From now on, it went steeply upward. At the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 1964 Klim threw in the qualification with 67.10 m Olympic record and grew in the final at 69.74 m, which meant winning the gold medal in front of his future arch-rival Gyula Zsivótzky. In the following years, met Klim and the Hungarian one another nine times - the winner was every time Romuald Klim. Also at the European Championships in Budapest in 1966 had Klim with his victory throw of 70.02 m 1.40 m ahead of Zsivótzky. So was the White Russian as a favorite for the Olympic Summer Games 1968 in Mexico City. There, however, was finally on the Hungarian handle: obtained on the Klim in the 4th attempt 73,28 m he countered with 73,36 m. For Klim was "only" the silver medal. This discouraged the now 35 -year-old, however, by no means. He intensified his training and achieved the following year, in 1969 no less than ten lengths over 71 m. On June 13, 1969 in Budapest, he succeeded in the truest sense of the word the big hit when the hammer at 74.52 m went down. This Klim was world record holder - but only for 3 months. The European Athletics Championships 1969 in Athens, the success of the Ukrainian Anatoliy Bondarchuk series, which threw further than 16 cm Klim and the White Russians took away not only the gold medal but also the world record began. Two years later, at the European Championships 1971 in Helsinki, the 38 -year-old Klim came to more than 70 m and was ranked fourth

Romuald Klim initially worked as a sports teacher at the Agricultural Academy in Horki at Mogilev. He then moved to the Children and Youth Sports School in Vitebsk, where his coach worked. After ending his playing career, he was pitcher coach at Army Sports Club of the military district of Belarus. In 1989 he left the armed forces with the rank of lieutenant colonel and took a job as a sports teacher at the Academy of Physical Education and Sports in Minsk on.

Romuald Klim's brawny exterior (1.86 m - 111 kg ) was contrary to his nature: He loved his three children to tell stories.

Power development

National Championships

International rankings

• Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 1964: GOLD with 69.74 m in front Zsivótzky Gyula (HUN, 69.09 m ) and the German Uwe Beyer (FRG, 68.09 m)
• European Cup 1965 in Stuttgart: GOLD with 67.68 m before Uwe Beyer ( 67.28 m ) and Martin Lotz (GDR, 65.46 m)
• European Championships in Budapest in 1966: GOLD with 70.02 m in front of Gyula Zsivótzky ( 68.62 m) and Uwe Beyer ( 67.28 m)
• European Cup 1967 in Kiev: GOLD with 70.58 m in front of Gyula Zsivótzky ( 68.12 m) and Uwe Beyer ( 66.80 m)
• Olympic Summer Games 1968 in Mexico City: SILVER with 73,28 m behind Gyula Zsivótzky ( 73.66 m ) and before Lovasz Lazar (HUN, 69.78 m)
• European Championships 1969 in Athens: SILVER with 72.74 m behind Anatoly Bondarchuk (URS, 74.68 m ) and before Reinhard Theimer (GDR, 72.02 m)
• European Championships 1971 in Helsinki: Fourth with 70.64 m ( length victory by Uwe Beyer: 72,36 m)

Since 1976, a pitcher tournament is annually held at the Romuald Klim Prize - in Minsk.