Edgar Baumann

Edgar Andres Baumann Dure (born 16 April 1970 in San Lorenzo) is a former Paraguayan javelin thrower, current javelin coach, sports promoter, and businessperson. He is of German descent.

Baumann won a silver medal at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata, Argentina, achieving the South American record at the time with a throw of 78.70 metres, surpassing Colombia's thrower Luis Lucumi's throw of 77.80 metres which was held since 1989. He held the record four times, overtaking temporary record holder and compatriot Nery Kennedy's throw of 81.28 metres in 1998 and extending it to 84.70 metres in Texas, United States of America on 17 October 1999. Baumann was the first South American javelin thrower to throw over 80 metres.

He qualified for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, although he did not compete. He competed at the Olympic Games for the first time in Atlanta in 1996, reaching a maximum distance of 77.74 metres. His extension to the South American record of 84.70 metres qualified him for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, however, during a scandal which involved the Paraguayan Olympic Committee, Baumann was replaced by Nery Kennedy without any justification, and did not participate.

It took Baumann 9 years to sue the Olympic Committee after establishing a lawsuit against them in 2000. He received support from Paraguayan football figure José Luís Chilavert in the process, who condemned corruption in Paraguayan sport, culminating with the Paraguayan Supreme Court ruling in favor of the javelin thrower who was awarded a minimum of US$1 million.

Education

Baumann attended Texas State University and was a member of the athletics team, Texas State Bobcats.

Career 1995 On 21 March 1995, Baumann threw a distance of 78.70 meters at the 1995 Pan American Games in Argentina. He won a silver medal, finishing behind Cuban thrower Emeterio González, who threw 79.28 meters. Baumann's result of 78.70 meters was the then South American record, surpassing Colombia's thrower Luis Lucumi's throw of 77.80 meters which was held since 1989.

In the same year, he threw 72.90 metres in Sweden at the World Championships, attending the competition again with Cuba's Emeterio González, who reached 76.54 metres.

1996 Baumann was one of eight track and field athletes at Texas State University who were close to competing at the '96 Olympics.

1999 On 17 October 1999, Baumann threw a distance of 84.70 meters during an encounter in San Marcos, Texas. The result of 84.70 meters increased his continental record for a fourth time, overtaking temporary record holder and compatriot Nery Kennedy's throw of 81.28 meters in 1998. Baumann reached an IAAF ranking of 6th in the world and he qualified for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He did not travel and the Paraguayan Olympic Committee chose to send Nery Kennedy to the Olympics in his place, resulting in Baumann suing the Olympic Committee for US$2 million for damages.

In an interview with Paraguayan newspaper ABC in 2011, Kennedy recalled that he was called up for the Olympics "at the last minute". Zubizarreta said Edgar Baumann was separated from the team that competed in the Sydney due a doping test that showed positive results for cocaine and amphetamines. Baumann responded by saying the alleged doping tests in question were declared "false and irrelevant" in the trial he filed against the authorities and the Paraguayan Olympic Committee. He also denounced an alleged poisoning attempt, stating that the then president of the Paraguayan Athletics Federation, Francisco Rojas Soto, allegedly gave him contaminated water to drink after which Baumann felt unwell during an athletics meeting. He added that he did not lose consciousness on the track, but left on his own to request toxicology tests at the hospital.

The scandal deprived Baumann of his right to participate at the Sydney Olympics, and Kennedy ultimately finished in 33rd place with a maximum distance of 70.26 m. The qualification mark was set at 83.00 meters, whilst Kennedy had not been ranked within the IAAF top 50 in 1999 nor 2000 in order to qualify.

Paraguayan goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert backed Baumann and condemned the actions of Zubizarreta, and said the latter should be expelled from the Olympic Committee for harming athletes and their careers as well as refusing to give them benefits.

In 2015, Zubizarreta was investigated again and had charges filed against him for the misappropriation of funds. In 2016, the mayor of San Bernardino in Paraguay filed a report for the shortage of 3.840 million Paraguayan Guaraníes from his predecessor, Zubizarreta.

Coaching and Sports Promoting In 2013, Baumann coached Paraguayan junior representative Fabian Jara. he helped in organization of the Asociación de Atletismo del Alto Paraná athletics club in the same city, in hosting a national athletics competition of the Paraguayan Athletics Federation in Ciudad del Este in November 2016.

Competitions International competitions

National competitions

Personal best Javelin Throw: 84.70m San Marcos – 17 October 1999

Seasonal bests 1988 - 55.30 1989 - 64.68 1990 - 68.26 1991 - 69.98 1992 - 72.90 1993 - 74.76 1994 - 75.96 1995 - 78.70 1996 - 80.56 1997 - 76.44 1998 - 79.22 1999 - 84.70 (AR)