Bruno Junk

Estonian Bruno Junk started race walking in 1948 and soon rose to be one of the world’s leading walkers in the 1950s. During his career, which lasted until 1959, Junk won a bronze in the 10 km walk at the 1952 Olympics and the 1956 Olympics 20 km. He also competed at the 1958 European Championships, where he was disqualified in the 20 km. Junk set a world record in the 15 km track walk in 1951 (1-08:08.0), an unratified world’s best in the 20 km road walk in 1956 (1-30:00.8) and a world’s best in the 3 km road walk in 1952 (11:51.4). Junk won four Soviet titles (1951 and 1956 in the 20 km walk, and 1952 and 1953 in the 10 km walk) and eight Estonian SSR titles (1949-50, 1956-59 in the 20 km walk; 1958 in the 10 km walk; and 1959 in the 30 km walk).

After finishing his sports career, Junk worked as an athletics coach with Dünamo Tallinn, serving as their vice-president from 1976-79. From 1964-70, Junk was vice-president of the Estonian SSR’s Athletics Federation and from 1979-87 was president of the Estonian SSR’s Athletics Federation. Junk also worked as head of the department at the Estonian SSR’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and later as head of department at the Police Board of the Republic of Estonia. He was also a co-worker with the Estonian sports magazine Kehakultuur and Estonian sports newspaper Spordileht. Since 1996 an annual memorial race walking tournament has been held in his honor in Valga.

Personal Bests: 10kmW – 42:20.6t (1958); 20kmW – 1-28:05t (1956).