Hungarian Olympic Champion Gyula Zsivotzky (© c)
Hungary’s 1968 Olympic Hammer Throw champion Gyula Zsivotzky has passed away after a long illness on Saturday 29 September 2007 in Budapest. He was 71-years-old.
Gyula Zsivotzky started hammer throwing at the age of 15. He was European champion in 1962 in Beograd, 1960 Olympic silver medallist in Rome and, after a serious stomach operation, again was runner-up at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. He finally took top honours in Mexico City of 1968, when he became champion with an Olympic record of 73.36m.
Zsivotzky twice set a World record – 73.74m, 4 September 1965 in Debrecen, Hungary; 73.76m, 14 September 1968 in Budapest, Hungary.
He was an active member of the Hungarian Athletics as Vice President for many years, and lately was coaching his son, Attila, who won a bronze medal in Decathlon in Helsinki at the 2005 IAAF World Championships in Athletics.
In 2000, Zsivotzky was elected the ‘Athlete of the Century’ by the Hungarian Athletics Association, and was also appointed to a national body, whose twelve members hold the title of ‘Hungarian Nation's Sportsman’, the most distinguished national honour that can be bestowed upon an athlete from any sport in Hungary.
The IAAF offers its sincere condolences and best wishes to his family.
IAAF
