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Atko Viru

1932 – 2007

Estonian basketball player, sportsperson, sports pedagogue and sports scientist

Basketball player Professor Sports scientist
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About Atko Viru

Lived 1932 – 2007 (aged 75). Atko Viru was an Estonian basketball player, professor, sports scientist, sportsperson, sports pedagogue and university teacher.

Atko-Meeme Viru (7 September 1932 Tallinn – 21 October 2007 Tartu) was an Estonian basketballer, sport personnel, sport scientist biologist and educator.

Early life and education Viru was born in Tallinn on 7 September 1932. In 1955 he graduated from Tartu State University in physical education. Subsequent surveys of the field credit him as one of its founding figures, whose work from the late 1960s onward systematised the study of hormonal responses to acute and chronic exercise. In a 1992 synthesis he proposed a threshold exercise intensity for triggering endocrine responses. His son Mehis Viru, who heads the Laboratory of Sports Physiology at the University of Tartu, co-authored his last monograph.

Death and legacy Viru died in Tartu on 21 October 2007. Since 2009 the University of Tartu Foundation, together with the Estonian Olympic Academy, has awarded the Prof. Atko-Meeme Viru Scholarship to young researchers in movement and sports sciences. 2007: Honorary Citizen of Tartu

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Viljandi Kesklinn School, University of Tartu
Employers
University of Tartu
Awards
Honorary citizen of Tartu; Merited Scientist of Estonian SSR; University of Tartu Grand Medal; Estonian Red Cross Order Fifth Class; Sports Award of the Republic of Estonia; Decoration of the Estonian Olympic Committee; Grand Star of Tartu

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Atko Viru's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Atko Viru?

Estonian basketball player, sportsperson, sports pedagogue and sports scientist (1932-2007)

When was Atko Viru born?

Atko Viru was born on 7 September 1932 in Tallinn.

When did Atko Viru die?

Atko Viru died on 21 October 2007 in Tartu.

What was Atko Viru's occupation?

Atko Viru was a basketball player, professor, sports scientist, sportsperson, sports pedagogue and university teacher.

What nationality was Atko Viru?

Atko Viru was Estonian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Atko Viru

· Wikidata: Q12359890

· DBpedia: Atko-Meeme Viru

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Atko Viru. https://biography.guide/atko-viru/

MLA: "Atko Viru." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/atko-viru/.

Chicago: "Atko Viru." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/atko-viru/.

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