Jüri Tamm

Estonian Jüri Tamm took up athletics and hammer throwing in 1972 and was among the world’s top hammer throwers during the 1980s. Tamm won Olympic bronzes in 1980 and 1988 and won silver at the 1987 World Championships. He also won gold at the 1983 Universiade and silver at the 1981 Universiade. He set one world record, throwing 80.46 in May 1980. Tamm won Soviet titles in 1987 and 1988 and Estonian titles in 1991 and 1993-94. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Tamm continued competing, representing his native Estonia, but already past his prime, placed fifth at the 1992 Olympics and did not advance from the qualifying round at the 1994 European Championships, 1995 World Championships, or the 1996 Olympics.

After retiring from sports, Tamm entered politics, serving as a member of the Estonian Social Democratic Party in the Riigikogu (Parliament) from 1999-11. From 1999-11 he was a member of Riigikogu’s Economic Affairs Committee and from 2007-11 served as a member of Riigikogu’s European Union Affairs Committee and Security Authorities Surveillance Select Committee. Tamm was the vice-president of the Estonian NOC from 2001-08 and from 2001-05 was chairman of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) Athletes’ Commission and a member of the EOC Executive Board. In 2007 he became the Honorary Consul to Monaco in Estonia and since 2012 worked as the chief-of-staff with the Ukrainian NOC.

Personal Best: HT – 84.40 (1984).