Four Olympics, Three Medals

[Double R Bar]

Happy birthday today to the only person from their country to have an Olympic gold, silver, and a bronze medal. This birthday athlete turns 71 years old today (Wednesday) and competed in four Olympic Games.

Our birthday athlete competed in a field event and was the first person to win a complete set of Olympic medals in this field event.

Hint: This athlete comes from a nation about the same size as the state of West Virginia, yet
competed for a different country.

Do you know our birthday athlete for May 19th?

[noone]

Re: Four Olympics, Three Medals

If it is who I think it is, his wife and their son also competed in the same event, and he was a respectable decathlete as well.

[Double R Bar]

Re: Four Olympics, Three Medals

Yes, noone, his wife was an Olympic champion and his son was an Olympian (in the same event).

[Powell]

Re: Four Olympics, Three Medals

Janis Lusis

[Double R Bar]

Re: Four Olympics, Three Medals

Very good, Powell. Happy birthday today to Janis Lusis. When ranking the all-time great javelin throwers, Janis has to be in the top ten (in my opinion). Nice job Powell and noone.

[rson]

Re: Four Olympics, Three Medals

I figured that the athlete in question was Lusis.However I was a bit stumped by the "different country" bit,as I assume Latvia was part of the Soviet Union throughout his throwing career.

[Double R Bar]

Re: Four Olympics, Three Medals

Lusis was born in Latvia, which is now an independent country. When he competed in the Olympic Games, he competed for the Soviet Union, which did not recognize Latvia as an independent nation.