View source for Jānis Lūsis

{{Short description|Latvian javelin thrower (1939–2020)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| honorific_prefix = 
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| image = Janis Lusis 2011-03-23.jpg
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| caption = <small>Lūsis in 2011</small>
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|<!-- Personal information -->
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| birth_date = {{birth date|1939|5|19|df=y}}<ref name=sports-reference>{{cite Sports-Reference |title=Jānis Lūsis |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/lu/janis-lusis-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203134958/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/lu/janis-lusis-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 December 2016 |access-date=1 June 2015}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Jelgava]], Latvia
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|4|29|1939|5|19|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Riga]], Latvia
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| height = 180 cm<ref name=sports-reference/>
| weight = 90 kg<ref name=sports-reference/>
| spouse = [[Elvīra Ozoliņa]]
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|<!-- Sport -->
| country = {{URS}}
| sport = Athletics
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| event = Javelin throw
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| pb = 93.80 m (1972)
|<!-- Medal record -->
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates = 
{{Medal|Sport | Men's [[Athletics (sport)|Athletics]]}}
{{Medal|Country | the {{URS}} }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold | [[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Mexico City]] | [[Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's javelin throw|Javelin]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Munich]] | [[Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's javelin throw|Javelin]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[1964 Summer Olympics|1964 Tokyo]] | [[Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics - Men's javelin throw|Javelin]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[European Championships in Athletics|European Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1962 European Championships in Athletics|1962 Belgrade]] | [[1962 European Athletics Championships – Men's javelin throw|Javelin]]}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1966 European Championships in Athletics|1966 Budapest]] | [[1966 European Athletics Championships – Men's javelin throw|Javelin]]}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1969 European Championships in Athletics|1969 Athens]] | [[1969 European Athletics Championships – Men's javelin throw|Javelin]]}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1971 European Championships in Athletics|1971 Helsinki]] | [[1971 European Athletics Championships – Men's javelin throw|Javelin]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Universiade]]}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1963 Summer Universiade|1963 Porto Alegre]] | Javelin}}
| medaltemplates-title = 
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| updated = 17 July 2024
}}

'''Jānis Lūsis''' (19 May 1939 – 29 April 2020)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.worldathletics.org/news/iaaf-news/janis-lusis-obituary |title=1968 Olympic javelin champion Lusis dies |date=29 April 2020 |publisher=[[World Athletics]] |access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/culture/sport/legendary-latvian-javelin-thrower-janis-lusis-passes-away.a358050/ |title=Legendary Latvian javelin thrower Jānis Lūsis passes away |date=30 April 2020 |publisher=[[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]] |access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> was a Latvian [[track and field]] athlete who competed in [[javelin throw]].

== Biography ==

Lūsis trained at [[Daugava]] [[Voluntary Sports Societies of the Soviet Union|Voluntary Sports Society]] and later at [[Armed Forces (sports society)|Armed Forces sports society]]. He competed in four Summer Olympics for the [[Soviet Union at the Olympics|USSR team]], winning bronze in [[1964 Summer Olympics|1964 Olympics]], gold in [[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Olympics]] and silver in [[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Olympics]].

The javelin competition at the 1972 Games was the closest in Olympic history. [[Germany]]'s [[Klaus Wolfermann]] had taken the lead from Lūsis in the fifth round with an Olympic Record throw of 90.48 meters. Then, in the sixth and final round, Lūsis let fly with a very long effort that measured at 90.46 meters - Wolfermann's two-centimeter margin was, at the time, the smallest unit of measurement used in javelin competitions.

{{As of|2020}}, he remains the only Latvian to have won an all three classes of Olympic medals ([[gold medal|gold]], [[silver medal|silver]] and [[bronze medal|bronze]]) over the span of his career. Lūsis set two world records in javelin throw, of 91.68 m in 1968 and of 93.80 m in 1972. He is also a 4-time European champion. In 1987 [[World Athletics|IAAF]] named him the greatest javelin thrower in history.

After Lūsis finished competing, he became an athletics coach. He was married to [[Elvīra Ozoliņa]], the [[1960 Summer Olympics|1960 Olympic]] female champion in the javelin throw. Their son, [[Voldemārs Lūsis]], is also a javelin thrower who competed in [[2000 Summer Olympics]] and [[2004 Summer Olympics]].

During the 2009 [[Latvian Sportspersonality of the year|Latvian Sportspersonality of the year award ceremony]], Lūsis received the Lifetime Contribution to Sport award.

In 2014 he was inducted into [[IAAF Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/culture/culture/olympic-javelin-champ-joins-world-sports-hall-of-fame.a107178/ |title=Olympic javelin champ joins world sports Hall of Fame |date=21 November 2014 |publisher=[[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]] |access-date=1 June 2015}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100504152630/http://www.ltn.lv/~datorkat/users/lusis_janis/ |date=dmy |title=Latvian Bio}} {{in lang|lv}}
* {{World Athletics}}
* {{LOK profile|id=75|old_id=janis-lusis-75|archive=20210928222405}}
* {{Olympedia}}
* {{Olympics.com|yanis-lusis|Yanis Lusis}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions Javelin Throw Men}}
{{Footer European champions javelin throw men}}
{{Footer Universiade Champions Javelin Men}}
{{Japan Championships in Athletics men's javelin throw champions}}
{{Footer WBYP Javelin Men}}
{{IAAF Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lusis, Janis}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Jelgava]]
[[Category:Communist Party of the Soviet Union members]]
[[Category:Honoured Masters of Sport of the USSR]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Badge of Honour]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour]]
[[Category:Soviet men javelin throwers]]
[[Category:Latvian men javelin throwers]]
[[Category:Latvian sports coaches]]
[[Category:Soviet athletics coaches]]
[[Category:Olympic men javelin throwers]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1968 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:FISU World University Games gold medalists for the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1963 Summer Universiade]]
[[Category:European Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Japan Championships in Athletics winners]]
[[Category:Armed Forces (sports society) sportspeople]]
[[Category:Soviet Athletics Championships winners]]