Zulyn Dalkhjav

In addition to being a writer and journalist, Zulyn Dalkhjav represented Mongolia at the Olympics as a weightlifter. Born in 1942, Dalkhjav graduated from the Agricultural University with a degree in agronomy before working at the Mongolian Information Radio State Committee in 1964, where he wrote dozens of essays and stories.

Prior to joining Mongolian Radio, Dalkhjav had already started writing poems for children, with him going on to author 24 books during his lifetime. He won several awards for his writing including the Mongolian Writers’ Union Prize and the Crystal Rose for the best Mongolian children’s book. His work was published in multiple languages including Russian, Chinese, Kazakh, Vietnamese, and Korean.

As a weightlifter Dalkhjav competed at the World Championships on five occasions, winning a bronze medal at the 1971 competition. This earned him a place on the Olympic team for the 1972 München Games, where he placed 15th in the bantamweight class.