Gerd Kanter
| Medal record | ||
 Gerd Kanter |
||
Competitor for  Estonia |
||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 2008 Beijing | Discus |
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2007 Osaka | Discus |
| Silver | 2011 Daegu | Discus |
| Silver | 2005 Helsinki | Discus |
| Bronze | 2009 Berlin | Discus |
| European Championships | ||
| Silver | 2006 Gothenburg | Discus |
| Universiade | ||
| Gold | 2005 İzmir | Discus throw |
Gerd Kanter (born May 6, 1979 in Tallinn, Estonia) is an Estonian discus thrower. He was the 2007 World Champion in the event and won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. His personal best throw of 73.38 m is the Estonian record and the third best mark of all-time.
He made his first Olympic appearance in 2004 and established himself a year later by taking the silver medal at the 2005 World Championships. He was runner-up at the 2006 European Athletics Championships and won further medals at the World Championships in 2009 (bronze) and 2011 (silver).
Contents |
[edit] Career
He competed at the 2004 Olympics, but did not reach the final. The season 2005 was his breakthrough year as he won silver medals at the World Championships and World Athletics Final, took home a victory in the European Cup and won the World University Games. He also threw more than 70 metres for the first time.
On September 4, 2006, in Helsingborg, Sweden, Kanter threw more than 70 metres in four different rounds (69.46 – 72.30 – 70.43 – 73.38 – 70.51 – 65.88). The best mark of 73.38 m was an Estonian record and the third best in history – only Jürgen Schult (74.08 m, 1986) and Virgilijus Alekna (73.88 m, 2000) have thrown further.[1]
Kanter was the silver medalist at the 2006 European Athletics Championships, finishing behind Virgilijus Alekna, and became the world champion in the discus at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics in Osaka. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he took Olympicgold medal with a throw of 68.82 meters, one meter ahead of second-place finisher Piotr Malachowski of Poland.
In March 2009 he won the European Cup Winter Throwing event in Los Realejos, Tenerife, Spain with 69.70 m. On 22 March 2009, he set a world indoor best of 69.51 m in Växjö, Sweden.[2] At the 2009 World Championships in Athletics he returned to defend his world title. He had a best throw of 66.88 m, which was enough for the World bronze medal.[3] He took victory in the Wexiö Indoor Throwing competition in 2010, although his winning throw was some way behind his indoor record set the previous year.[4] Still, he started strongly outdoors, having a long early-season throw of 71.45 m in California – the eleventh best throw ever at that point.[5]
He finished just outside of the medals at the 2010 European Athletics Championships, coming fourth, but managed to win the silver medal at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics behind Robert Harting. He ended that year with a season's best throw of 67.99 m at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial.[6]
[edit] Achievements
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Result | Mark | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing Estonia |
|||||
| 2002 | European Championships | Munich, Germany | 12th | 55.14 m | |
| 2003 | World Championships | Paris, France | 25th | 56.63 m | |
| 2004 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 19th | 60.05 m | |
| World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 5th | 63.28 m | ||
| 2005 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 2nd | 68.57 m | |
| Universiade | İzmir, Turkey | 1st | 65.29 m | ||
| World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 2nd | 66.01 m | ||
| 2006 | European Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 2nd | 68.03 m | |
| World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 2nd | 68.47 m | ||
| 2007 | World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 1st | 68.94 m | |
| World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 1st | 66.54 m | ||
| 2008 | Summer Olympics | Beijing, China | 1st | 68.82 m[7] | |
| World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 1st | 68.38 m | ||
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 3rd | 66.88 m | |
| 2010 | European Championships | Barcelona, Spain | 4th | 66.20 m | |
| 2011 | World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 2nd | 66.95 m | |
[edit] Orders
[edit] References
- ^ Butcher, Michael (2006-09-05). Kanter 73.38m in Helsingborg. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-10-01.
- ^ Kanter throws 69.51m world indoor best in Växjö
- ^ Jalava, Mirko (2009-08-19). Event Report – Men's Discus Throw – Final. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-22. Archived 2009-09-08.
- ^ Augustsson, Bert (2010-03-28). Kanter a little below par indoors. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-03-29.
- ^ Kanter throws a stunning 71.45m in California. European Athletics (2010-04-30). Retrieved on 2010-04-30.
- ^ Juck, Alfons (2011-09-21). Kanter throws 67.99m in Warsaw. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-10-01.
- ^ John Branch (2008-08-24). "Estonia’s Kanter Celebrates Gold Medal in the Discus His Way". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/sports/olympics/24thrower.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
[edit] External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gerd Kanter |
- IAAF profile for Gerd Kanter
- KANTER rzutyiskoki.pl
- NBC Olympics – Athlete profile
- Gerd Kanter fan club
- Gerd Kanter official page
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Andrus Veerpalu Nikolai Novosjolov |
Estonian Sportsman of the Year 2007–2008 2011 |
Succeeded by Andrus Veerpalu Incumbent |
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
- 1979 births
- Living people
- People from Tallinn
- Estonian discus throwers
- Male discus throwers
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Olympic athletes of Estonia
- Olympic gold medalists for Estonia
- Olympic medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 1st Class
- Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 4th Class
