Jānis Dimza
Latvian decathlete
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Jānis Dimza (1 November 1906, Ipiķi parish – c. 1942) was a Latvian decathlete. He placed fourth at the European Championships in 1934, and challenged for medals at the Olympic Games in 1932 until he injured himself in the pole vault.
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing  Latvia | ||
| International University Games | ||
 | 1930 Darmstadt | Pentathlon |
Career
Dimza placed second in the pentathlon at the 1930 International University Games in Darmstadt.[1][2] The pentathlon had been discontinued as an Olympic event after 1924,[3] so at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles he only competed in the decathlon.[4] He had scored 7789 points in that event in 1931,[1][5] and was one of many favorites in what was expected to be a close competition.[5] He was a close fourth after seven events; in the eighth event, pole vault, he cleared 3.50 m to move up to second place, but landed badly and injured his leg. He was unable to continue.[5]
Dimza returned to competition once his leg healed, placing 4th at the 1934 European Championships in Turin.[4][5] At the 1936 Olympics he again failed to finish, retiring from the competition after the fourth event.[4] In total, he was Latvian champion 36 times in a variety of events.[1] In 1932 he was awarded the Order of the Three Stars 5th Class.[6]
He died in a Soviet prison camp during World War II.[7]
