Igor Avrunin

Igor Avrunin (sometimes spelled Igor Avronin; ; 16 July 1957 – 7 January 2020 ) was a USSR-born Israeli track and field athlete.

Early life Igor Avrunin was born in 1957 in Gomel into a Jewish family. His father was a college physical education teacher and played a significant role in fostering and developing his son's athletic abilities. Avrunin's sports career began in the Youth Sports School of the Olympic Reserve. After graduating from the college in Gomel, he relocated to Kaunas, Lithuania, where he participated in various track and field competitions, and achieved multiple champion titles in the Lithuanian track and field championships.

Sport career

Dinamo Kaunas Avrunin trained under the guidance of the coach Rimantas Plungė, representing Dinamo Kaunas team. He won gold medals in discus throw (62 m 96 cm) and shot put (20 m 40 cm) at the 1984 championships in Klaipėda. In 1980, he became the Lithuanian discus throw champion, and in 1981 and 1983, he was the shot put vice-champion. On August 25, 1983, in Kyiv, he set a personal record in shot put – 20 m 68 cm. In 1984, in Smalininkai, he improved the Lithuanian discus throw record to 67 m 14 cm. His competitors during that period included Romas Ubartas, Vaclovas Kidykas in discus throw, and Saulius Kleiza in shot put.

Maccabi Tel Aviv In 1990, Igor Avruninas repatriated to Israel, marking a significant shift in his athletic journey. The transition did not hinder his achievements, as he continued to leave a lasting impact on Israeli track and field. He is still the current Israeli record holder. His discus throw record in Israel remains unbroken, showcasing the enduring legacy of his achievements.

The agreement enabled Israel to add three athletes — Igor Avrunin in the shot-put and discus, Vadim Bavikin in the javelin and Vladimir Ostrovskiy in the 20-kilometer walk — to its team of Rogel Nachum (men's triple jump) and Orit Kolodni (women's 200 and 400 meters). in Tokyo and the 1991 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Seville, Spain.

Post-athletic career After retiring from professional sports, Avrunin pursued taught mathematics and physics, worked in a metal processing factory for four years, and later became a software engineer. He also mentored young discus throwers and shot put athletes.

Avrunin died in Ashdod, at age 62, on 7 January 2020, after a long battle with cancer.

Personal life Avrunin stood tall and weighed during his active career.

Avrunin's family includes his son, Artur, a basketball player, and his daughter, Angelina, who followed in her father's footsteps to become an accomplished discus thrower.