Kalevi Kotkas

Kalevi Kotkas

Personal information
Full name	Kalevi Kotkas
Nationality	Estonian, Finnish
Born	10 August 1913 Tallinn, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire
Died	24 August 1983(1983-08-24) (aged 70) Vantaa, Finland
Height	194 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	100 kg (220 lb)
Sport
Country	Finland
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	High jump, discus throw, shot put
Club	Helsingin Kisa-Veikot
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	HJ – 2.04 m (1936) DT – 51.27 m (1937) SP – 15.55 m (1938)
Medal record Representing  Finland European Championships 1934 Turin High jump 1938 Paris High jump

Kalevi Kotkas (10 August 1913 – 24 August 1983) was an Estonian-born Finnish athlete, specializing in high jump, discus throw and shot put. He became the first ever European champion in high jump, in 1934 in Turin, and competed in the 1932 and 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1936 he cleared the same height of 2.00 m as the medalists Dave Albritton and Delos Thurber, but made more attempts and was placed fourth.^[1]

Kalevi Kotkas set four European records in high jump, but two of them – achieved in Rio de Janeiro in 1934 – were never ratified. The ratified records were 2.03 meters (Helsinki, 12 July 1936) and 2.04 meters (Gothenburg, 1 September 1936).^[2]