Balázs Kiss
Encyclopedia
Balázs Kiss (last name pronounced "Kish") is a retired Hungarian
hammer throw
er. He is the 1996 Olympic
champion and the 1998 European Championships
silver medalist, and has two fourth places from World Championships
. His personal best throw was 83.00 metres, achieved during the 1998 Golden League
circuit.
. As a junior athlete he won the bronze medal at the 1991 European Junior Championships, with a throw of 68.40 metres. The same year he had thrown 70.66 metres.
Kiss then enrolled as a student in the United States. He won the 1993 National Collegiate Athletic Association
Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a throw of 75.24 metres, and later won three more titles in a row. In 1995 and 1996 he set new championship records with 79.62 metres and 80.86 metres respectively. He represented the University of Southern California
.
. In 1995 he broke the 80-metre barrier for the first time, his season's best being 82.56 metres, achieved in Veszprém in August. He participated at the 1995 World Championships
, and finished fourth. Kiss was almost two metres short of the bronze medal, which was won by compatriot Tibor Gécsek
. However, Kiss won the gold medal at the 1995 Summer Universiade
.
In 1996 Kiss won the Olympic gold medal with a throw of 81.24 metres. He also finished fourth at the Grand Prix Final. His season's best throw was 81.76 metres, achieved in July in Nice
. In 1997 Kiss competed at the World Championships
, but finished fourth for the second time. He did defend his Universiade gold medal, though, winning the 1997 Summer Universiade
. Like in 1995, he finished ahead of a Ukrainian and a Russian. His 82.90 metre throw from Veszprém in July was a new personal best. In June 1998 Kiss threw the hammer 83.00 metres in the Meeting Gaz de France
Golden League
meet. This would be his lifetime best performance. He later won silver medals both at the European Championships
, again behind Tibor Gécsek, and the Grand Prix Final.
Participations at the World Championships in 1999 and 2001 followed. In 1999
he failed to reach the final, whereas in 2001
he finished sixth. In 2002 he finished fourth at the European Championships
and third at the Grand Prix Final. His best throw between 1999 and 2002 was 81.36 metres, achieved in July 2001 in Cottbus
. Kiss became the Hungarian champion in 1995, 1998 and 2000, rivalling with Tibor Gécsek, Adrián Annus
and Zsolt Németh
.
He announced his retirement in July 2004. He stands 1.88 metre tall, and during his active career he weighed 117 kilograms (257.9 lb).
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
hammer throw
Hammer throw
The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...
er. He is the 1996 Olympic
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
champion and the 1998 European Championships
1998 European Championships in Athletics
The 17th European Athletics Championships were held from 18 August to 23 August 1998 in Budapest, the capital city of Hungary.-Track:1990 |1994 |1998 |2002 |2006 |-Field:1990 |1994 |1998 |2002 |2006 |-Track:1990 |1994 |1998 |2002 |2006 |-Field:...
silver medalist, and has two fourth places from World Championships
IAAF World Championships in Athletics
The World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations . Originally, it was organised every four years, but this changed in 1991, and it has since been organised biennially.-History:...
. His personal best throw was 83.00 metres, achieved during the 1998 Golden League
IAAF Golden League
The IAAF Golden League was an annual series of track and field meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations...
circuit.
Early career
Kiss was born in VeszprémVeszprém
Veszprém is one of the oldest urban areas in Hungary, and a city with county rights. It lies approximately north of the Lake Balaton. It is the administrative center of the county of the same name.-Location:...
. As a junior athlete he won the bronze medal at the 1991 European Junior Championships, with a throw of 68.40 metres. The same year he had thrown 70.66 metres.
Kiss then enrolled as a student in the United States. He won the 1993 National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a throw of 75.24 metres, and later won three more titles in a row. In 1995 and 1996 he set new championship records with 79.62 metres and 80.86 metres respectively. He represented the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
.
International career
Kiss finished twelfth at the 1994 European Championships1994 European Championships in Athletics - Men's Hammer
These are the official results of the Men's hammer throw event at the 1994 European Championships in Helsinki, Finland. There were a total number of 25 participating athletes.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:*All results shown are in metres-Records:...
. In 1995 he broke the 80-metre barrier for the first time, his season's best being 82.56 metres, achieved in Veszprém in August. He participated at the 1995 World Championships
1995 World Championships in Athletics
The 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13.This edition featured 1804 athletes from 191 nations....
, and finished fourth. Kiss was almost two metres short of the bronze medal, which was won by compatriot Tibor Gécsek
Tibor Gécsek
Tibor Gécsek is a retired male hammer thrower from Hungary. Gécsek is of Hungarian Slovenian descent....
. However, Kiss won the gold medal at the 1995 Summer Universiade
1995 Summer Universiade
The 1995 Summer Universiade, also known as the XVIII Summer Universiade, took place in Fukuoka, Japan.-Emblem:The symbol mark is a motif of "U", expressing passion and energy in the flickering flames of a burning torch...
.
In 1996 Kiss won the Olympic gold medal with a throw of 81.24 metres. He also finished fourth at the Grand Prix Final. His season's best throw was 81.76 metres, achieved in July in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
. In 1997 Kiss competed at the World Championships
1997 World Championships in Athletics - Men's Hammer
These are the official results of the Men's Hammer Throw event at the 1997 World Championships in Athens, Greece. There were a total number of 43 participating athletes, with the final held on Sunday 3 August 1997.-Medalists:-Schedule:...
, but finished fourth for the second time. He did defend his Universiade gold medal, though, winning the 1997 Summer Universiade
Athletics at the 1997 Summer Universiade
The Athletics Tournament at the 1997 Summer Universiade took place in the Stadio Cibali in Catania, Sicily at the end of August 1997, shortly after the World Championships in Athens, Greece. New events were the women's hammer throw, pole vault and half marathon competition.-Men’s events:-Women’s...
. Like in 1995, he finished ahead of a Ukrainian and a Russian. His 82.90 metre throw from Veszprém in July was a new personal best. In June 1998 Kiss threw the hammer 83.00 metres in the Meeting Gaz de France
Meeting Gaz de France
Meeting Areva, previously known as Meeting Gaz de France, is an annual track and field event at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League. It was first organized in 1999...
Golden League
IAAF Golden League
The IAAF Golden League was an annual series of track and field meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations...
meet. This would be his lifetime best performance. He later won silver medals both at the European Championships
1998 European Championships in Athletics - Men's Hammer
These are the official results of the Men's hammer throw event at the 1998 European Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Thirty-six athletes took part...
, again behind Tibor Gécsek, and the Grand Prix Final.
Participations at the World Championships in 1999 and 2001 followed. In 1999
1999 World Championships in Athletics - Men's Hammer
These are the official results of the Men's Hammer Throw event at the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Spain. There were a total number of 39 participating athletes, with the final held on Sunday 22 August 1999.-Medalists:-Schedule:...
he failed to reach the final, whereas in 2001
2001 World Championships in Athletics
The 8th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between 3 August and 12 August and was the first time the event had visited North America...
he finished sixth. In 2002 he finished fourth at the European Championships
2002 European Championships in Athletics
The 18th European Athletics Championships were held from 6 August to 11 August 2002 in the Olympic Stadium of Munich, Germany.-Track:1994 |1998 |2002 |2006 |2010 |...
and third at the Grand Prix Final. His best throw between 1999 and 2002 was 81.36 metres, achieved in July 2001 in Cottbus
Cottbus
Cottbus is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree. As of , its population was .- History :...
. Kiss became the Hungarian champion in 1995, 1998 and 2000, rivalling with Tibor Gécsek, Adrián Annus
Adrián Annus
Adrián Annus is a Hungarian hammer thrower, who was stripped of his gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens for a doping violation in a highly publicized scandal...
and Zsolt Németh
Zsolt Németh
Zsolt Németh is a retired male hammer thrower from Hungary. His personal best throw was 81.56 metres, achieved in August 1999 in Veszprém. He is the son of coach Pál Németh.-Achievements:-References:*...
.
He announced his retirement in July 2004. He stands 1.88 metre tall, and during his active career he weighed 117 kilograms (257.9 lb).