“BOTH SIDES OF THE MEDAL” ⟩ The legendary Gunārs Jākobsons and his reports of 6000 sports matches

Jākobsons remembers: when our speed skater Lāsma Kauniste (1942) climbed the podium at the end of the sixties, becoming the world champion in speed skating all-around, there was excitement in sports circles – there was talk that only Riga would have an artificial speed skating track, but nothing – “it’s still going on”.

With our legendary javelin thrower Jānis Lūsi (1939-2020) Jākobson is connected with a bright case at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich.

Remark: during the Games, the so-called “Munich Massacre” took place – a terrorist attack against Israeli athletes On September 5, Palestinian terrorists stormed the Olympic Village and took 11 Israeli athletes, coaches and officials hostage. Later, all 11 athletes and a police officer died. Some of the terrorists were killed, the rest were caught. Gunars Jákobsons lived 300 meters from the place where it happened.

At that time, Jānis Lūsis competed with the German Klaus Wolferman, whose javelin flew 2 cm further than Lūša’s. Consequently, Wolfermanis won a gold medal, Lusis a silver medal. “That day I felt broken, I was afraid to go to Lush, because I thought he would be devastated – but the gold was only 2 centimeters away!

However, I met him in a good mood, and Jānis began to comfort me, saying: “Klaus is my friend, may he be blessed. I now have the whole set.”

As anxious as I went to him, I left so happy. An outstanding person, a servant of his being, in the best sense”.

At the end of the conversation, Gunars Jákobsons says: “Being residents of a small country, we can be proud of our success in sports, as well as in art and music. We can pat ourselves on the back and not beat ourselves up like we often do. Optimism is needed in life – if it is not there, well… then it is what it is. My motto, which I always repeat, is ‘Nose above nose!'”

The project is financed by the Media Support Fund from the funds of the Latvian state budget. SIA TVNET GRUPA is responsible for the content of “Both Sides of the Medal”.