Inese Jaunzeme was a Latvian javelin thrower who won a gold medal at the 1956 Olympics. Jaunzeme placed third at the Soviet Union Championships in 1956, earning herself a place on the Soviet Olympic team for the 1956 Olympics. She set an Olympic record in the first round of the event and went on to improve her mark twice more, ending up with a winning throw of 53.86 metres. This made her the first Latvian Olympic champion. She was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour in 1957 in recognition of her achievement and was selected as the Latvian athlete of the year in 1956 and 1957. Jaunzeme was the Latvian champion in the javelin in 1952, 1956, 1958 and 1960, and placed second at the 1957 World University Games. In 1960, she graduated from the Riga Medical Institute and retired from competitions. She worked in the fields of traumatology and plastic surgery, and defended a PhD in 1969. Since 1970 she was an orthopedics professor at the Riga Medical Institute.
| Sport: | Athletics |
| Event(s): | Javelin throw |
| Club: | Dynamo Riga |
| Personal best(s): | 55.73 (1960) |
About Inese Jaunzeme
Latvian athlete known best for competing in the javelin throw and winning a gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
Before Fame
She trained with the Dynamo club in Riga.
Achievement
She set an Olympic record at the 1956 Summer Olympics.
Family Life
Her parents raised her in Plavinas, Latvia.
Associations
She and Jack Kemp were both known for being javelin throwers.
Information related to Inese Jaunzeme
- Soviet female javelin throwers
- Latvian female javelin throwers
- Dynamo sports society athletes
- Olympic athletes of the Soviet Union
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1956 Summer Olympics
- Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field)
