Jānis Daliņš

Jānis Daliņš (November 5, 1904 – June 11, 1978) was a Latvian athlete who competed in race walking.

Jānis Daliņš was the first Latvian to win a silver medal in Olympic games, in 50km walk in 1932 Summer Olympics. He also won European Championships in the same distance in 1934 and set world records in several walking distances. Daliņš' success made race-walking one of the most popular athletics disciplines in Latvia, with two more Latvians winning Olympic medals: Adalberts Bubenko in 1936 Summer Olympics and Aigars Fadejevs in 2000 Summer Olympics.

Daliņš is regarded as the best athlete of pre-World War II Latvia. A phrase "Ak, kaut man Daliņa kājas būtu" ("Oh, if I had Dalins' legs", originally a title of a 1930s song) remains widely known in Latvia. A stadium in Daliņš' hometown, Valmiera, is named after him.

In fleeing the Soviet Union's invasion of Latvia, Daliņš took his young family (wife Ella, sons Ivars and Jānis, daughter Rudite) to Australia, based in the refuge camp 'Bonegilla' in North/North Eastern Victoria. Jānis worked as a carpenter in Benalla (Victoria) building many homes in post-war Australia. After completing his contracted time working in Benalla, he moved his family to Melbourne, Victoria. There he raised his children, enjoyed his favourite hobby (fishing) and saw 7 grandchildren born.

Jānis Daliņš continues to remain a well known name in Latvia, with the stadium and street retaining their name to this day.