Legendary Czechoslovak discus thrower Imrich Bugár dies at 70
Legendary Czechoslovak discus thrower Imrich Bugár, a world and European champion, has died at the age of 70 . The news was confirmed by the Dukla Army Sports Center, with which he linked his entire sporting career.
The Czech sports world has lost a legend. The Slovak-born discus thrower with Hungarian roots, who competed for Czechoslovakia in the 1980s, died on Wednesday just days ahead of his 71st birthday.
At the height of his fame he won a silver medal at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, became European champion in Athens two years later, and world champion at the Helsinki games in 1983.
In an interview for Czech Radio Bugár recalled that he came to discus throwing by chance.
“I was fifteen, I played handball and I could shoot well. One Friday, a teacher put a discus in my hand said there was a district championship on Sunday and asked if I wanted to try. So I got on my bike and went to Dunajská Streda. Everyone threw with a spin, I only threw from a standing position,” Bugár recalled the beginnings of his discus career.
He threw from a standing position because he had had no idea how to go about doing a discus spin. Even with this handicap, he was clearly an exceptional talent.
“In my first attempt I swung my arm, threw 31.14 meters and won,” Bugár said.
A promising handball player thus became a discus thrower overnight.
He then moved to Bratislava, where he was coached by former pole vaulter Vladimír Hurtoň. In 1974, he joined Dukla Prague, the club to which he remained loyal throughout his life.
Bugár’s personal best was 71.26 meters from 1985. In the men’s category, he was named Czechoslovak Athlete of the Year six times and once Athlete of the Year overall.
In discus, he broke the Czechoslovak record six times and became national champion in the discipline a total of fifteen times.
He ended his sporting career in September 1995. That same year, the then president of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch, awarded him the Olympic Order in Prague, an honor also received by Dana Zátopková.
Imrich Bugár remained an employee of Dukla and, since 2012, also served as Vice-Chairman for Sport of the Czech Olympians Club.
Last December, together with shot putter Helena Fibingerová, he received the Emil Zátopek Award for sporting legends.
