Birutė Kalėdienė

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexFemale
Full nameBirutė•Kalėdienė (Zalogaitytė-)
Used nameBirutė•Kalėdienė
Other namesBirute Viktorovna Kaledene (Zalogaytite-), Бируте Викторовна Каледене (Залогайтите-)
Born2 November 1934 in Baltrušiai, Marijampolė (LTU)
Measurements173 cm / 77 kg
AffiliationsŽalgiris Kaunas, Kaunas (LTU)
NOC Soviet Union
Nationality Lithuania
Medals OG
Gold 0
Silver 0
Bronze 1
Total 1

Biography

Lithuanian Birutė Kalėdienė (née Zalogaitytė) took up athletics in 1952 and rose to prominence in 1958, when she won her first Soviet title. In addition to her Olympic bronze, Kalėdienė also won silver at the 1958 European Championships and was fourth at the 1964 Olympics. Kalėdienė was Soviet Champion in 1958-60 and won 10 Lithuanian titles. Kalėdienė became the first Lithuanian athlete to set a world record, when she threw 57.49 in 1958. In 1958, she was selected as the Lithuanian athlete of the year. Kalėdienė retired from sports in 1966 and later worked as an athletics coach in Kaunas. She was also a board member of Ąžuolyno Kaunas sports club and competed successfully in masters athletics, winning the World Championship in F70 class in 2005.

Personal Best: JT – 57.49 (1958).

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal Nationality As
1960 Summer Olympics Athletics URS LTU Birutė Kalėdienė
Javelin Throw, Women (Olympic) 3 Bronze
1964 Summer Olympics Athletics URS LTU Birutė Kalėdienė
Javelin Throw, Women (Olympic) 4

Special Notes