Race walking athlete’s Jānis Daliņš 110th jubilee

On 27th of November 2014, an exhibition dedicated to the walker’s Jānis Daliņš 110th jubilee called Daliņš golden walk was opened. It is a story of the most brilliant athlete in Latvia during interwar period, as well as about one of the luckiest finds in Latvia’s sports – in 1993 Daliņš prizes and utilitarian objects that have been hidden where retrieved. The objects where digged in 70 years ago in the land of Daliņi house, just before leaving Valmiera in 1944.

The first start of Jānis Daliņš that took place on the 27th of May 1927 in the garden of the Sports Association of Valmiera that was 273 metres long and enclosed by gorgeous lindens turned out weird. Wearing simple shoes and a shirt young Daliņš, encouraged by the public, pulled ahead of all main leaders and celebrated an unexpected win in 200 meters distance. That is how the brightest light and the most charismatic personality – Jānis Daliņš who is also the winner of the Olympic Silver medal and European gold, started his sports career. Literarily and figuratively – in walking Jānis had a gold style.

Main photo of the article: Jānis Daliņš (first from the left) in 50 km distance in Olympiad Games (Los Angeles), third of August 1932. Author unknown.

J.Dalins 1      J.Dalins 3
JJānis Daliņš, around 1931.
Author: Herberts Zemvalds.		   Jānis Daliņš cups in Latvia Sports Museum, 2013.
Author: Solvita Lomanova (Latvia Sports Museum).

Photos of the venue (author – Baiba Lāce, Latvia Sports Museum):

Dalinam110 1      Dalinam110 2
Izstādes atklāšanas viesi.    Izstādes atklāšanas viesi.
Dalinam110 3   Dalinam110 4
Alfrēds Leja un Latvijas Sporta muzeja direktore
Agra Brūne.		    Skolotājs un sporta treneris,
vēsturnieks un publicists Alfrēds Leja.
Dalinam110 5   Dalinam110 6
 No kreisās: Valdis Atslēga, Alfrēds Leja,
Agra Brūne un Kārlis Greiškalns.		   Agra Brūne un Burtnieku novada domes deputāts, 
bijušais Valmieras pilsētas domes priekšsēdētājs
Kārlis Greiškalns.
Dalinam110 7   Dalinam110 8
 Agra Brūne un Latvijas Radio žurnāliste
Inita Kresa–Katkovska.		   Soļošanas sporta vecmeistars Zigurds Irbe.
Dalinam110 9   Dalinam110 10
 Agra Brūne un Latvijas Olimpiskās komitejas
viceprezidents, Latvijas Olimpiešu kluba prezidents
Raimonds Bergmanis.		    Bijušais Latvijas soļotājs, Olimpiādes spēļu
dalībnieks Modris Liepiņš.
Dalinam110 11   Dalinam110 12
 No kreisās: Māris Ošs, Zigurds Irbe,
Modris Liepiņš un Irma Jaunzeme.		   Sporta vecmeistari Irma Jaunzeme (vieglatlētika)
un Oļģerts Hehts (basketbols).
Dalinam110 14   Dalinam110 15
Agra Brūne un Izglītības un zinātnes ministrijas
Sporta departamenta vecākā eksperte Anda Mičule.		   Zigurds Irbe, Modris Liepiņš un Irma Jaunzeme.
Dalinam110 13   Dalinam110 16
Žurnālists Jānis Motivāns, Zigurds Irbe un Modris Liepiņš.   Jānis Motivāns, Zigurds Irbe un Kārlis Greiškalns.