Jaan Talts

Jaan Talts ( born May 19, 1944 in Pärnu ) is a former Soviet Weightlifter and Estonian official.

Career

Jaan Talts was a very versatile athlete as a student. He ran track and field, especially short distance running, swam and played volleyball. In the agricultural school, he started as a 15- year-old with the weight lifting. In 1963, he joined the army. There he made under coach Yakov Krinitsky good progress. In 1964 he became a Soviet junior champion, but could the whole 1965 because of knee and back problems incur no competitions. In 1966 he took on his first participation in the Soviet Championships 2nd place in Medium weight behind Eduard Browko. As great talent and hope for the future of the 22 - year-old athlete was sent to the World and European Championships 1966 in Berlin. There, however, he had to pay heavy dues, because he left with three failed attempts from the pressures without placement. Jaan was not stopped, closed the year 1966 with a three-way battle power of 490 kg from and achieved at the Soviet Championships in 1967 as the first weightlifter in the world in the middle heavy weight over 500 kg. Nevertheless, he had in 1968 suffered a setback because he was subject, starting as a big favorite, surprisingly the Finn Kaarlo Kangasniemi. But in 1972 he won the Olympic gold medal in Munich in convincing style. It was remarkable how he resigned after the disaster in the Soviet team, as one after Vladimir Kanygin, Valery Schary, Boris Pavlov and David Rigert in the middle, light heavy and medium- heavy weight because of three failed attempts in one of the disciplines that took the initiative, Head Coach Alexei Medvedev practically disempowered and together with Vasily Alekseyev won two gold medals for the Soviet Union. In 1973, he finished his career as an active weightlifter.

Today Jaan Talts lives as a businessman in Tallinn. He has held various functions in Estonian Weightlifting Association and is active for this also as a sponsor.

International success / Mehrkampf

(OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship, EM = European Championship, Ms = Medium weight, then up to 90 kg body weight, S = Heavy weight, then to 110 kg body weight)

Medals individual disciplines

( since 1969 to be awarded)

• World Championship gold medals in 1969, pushing, S - 1970, Press, S -1970, pushing, S - 1972, Press, S,
• World Championship silver medals: 1969, Press, S - 1969, tearing, S - 1970, tearing, S,
• World Cup bronze: 1972, rupturing, S - 1972, pushing, S.

• EM Gold Medals: 1969, Press, S - 1969, tearing, S - 1969, pushing, S - 1970, Press, S 1970, pushing, S - 1972, Press, S - 1972, tearing, S - 1972, pushing, S,
• EM Bronze Medal: 1970, rupturing, S.

In addition, the Olympic gold medal in 1972 applies in powerlifting as a world title.

USSR Championships

World Records

Awards

• Estonian Sportsman of the Year in 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1972
• Order of the Estonian Red Cross 2nd class (2001)