Vilmos Varjú

Vilmos Varju [ vilmoʃ vɒrju ː ] ( born June 10, 1937 in Gyula, † February 17, 1994 in Budapest) was a Hungarian athlete.

The best European shot putter in the 1960s was in 1958 while at the European Championships in Stockholm and was 16.77 meters seventh. He won his first major title at the European Championships 1962 in Belgrade with 19.02 meters and 64 centimeters ahead of Viktor Lipsnis from the Soviet Union.

At the Olympic Games in 1964 Varju won with 19.39 meters bronze behind the two Americans Dallas Long and Randy Matson.

1966 took place the first European indoor games in the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund. Vilmos Varju won with 19.05 meters and eighty centimeters ahead of Dieter Hoffmann from the GDR. In summer, the European Championships were held in 1966 in Budapest. When playing at home Varju won with 19.43 meters again superior to 61 centimeters ahead of Nikolai Karasyov from the Soviet Union.

In Mexico City in the 1968 Olympic Games Varju reached 18.86 meters in qualifying and missed the final by one centimeter. A year later at the European Championships 1969 in Athens, he came across 18.78 meters and finished seventh.

At the European Championships 1971 in Helsinki Varju scored 19.99 inches and was fourth with 5 centimeters behind bronze. His last major final he reached during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. With 20.10 meters he finished in eighth place.

Vilmos Varju was 1958-1960 and 1963-1972 Hungarian Champion in the shot put. He improved the Hungarian record total of 17 times from 16.63 meters to 20.45 meters, which he achieved in 1971. With 18.67 meters in 1960 and 19.62 in 1966, he twice improved the European record.

At a height of 1.89 m Varju had a competition weight of 140 kg.