Jānis Daliņš

Jānis Daliņš (5 November 1904 – 11 June 1978) was a Latvian race walker. Competing in the 50 km event he won a silver medal at the 1932 Olympics, becoming the first athlete to win an Olympic medal competing for Latvia. He also won the 1934 European title and set seven world records in the 1930s.

In 1932, he set his first world record, over the 25 mile distance and was later awarded the Order of the Three Stars 5th Class. Daliņš finished second in the 2 and 7 mile walk events at the 1933 AAA Championships.

After the 1936 Olympics Dāliņš semi-retired from athletics to work on his farm and raise his family. He resumed competing around 1940, and won the Latvian championships in 1942. In 1944 he moved from Latvia to Germany, where in 1947 he won his last race.

In 1949 Dāliņš migrated to Australia, He was initially placed in the Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre in north east Victoria. Jānis worked as a carpenter in the rural town of Benalla, building many homes in post-war Australia. After completing his contracted time working in Benalla, he moved his family to Melbourne.