Igor Avrunin (sometimes spelled Igor Avronin; ; 16 July 1957 – 7 January 2020) was a USSR-born

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

athlete.

Early life

Igor Avrunin was born in 1957 in

Gomel Gomel (, ) or Homyel (, ) is a city in south-eastern Belarus. It serves as the administrative centre of Gomel Region and Gomel District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it is the List of cities and largest ...

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 Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

, 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 Klaipėda ( ; ) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. It is the List of cities in Lithuania, third-largest city in Lithuania, the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, fifth-largest city in the Baltic States, and the capi ...

. 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 Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

, 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 Romas Ubartas (born 26 May 1960 in Panevėžys) is a retired male discus thrower from Lithuania who won a silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics for the USSR and a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics for Lithuania, the nation's first gold. Hi ...

, Vaclovas Kidykas in discus throw, and Saulius Kleiza in shot put. Avrunin was awarded by the title of Master of Sports of the USSR, International Class.

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 set Israeli record in the men's

discus throw The discus throw (), also known as disc throw, is a track and field sport in which the participant athlete throws an oblate spheroid weight (object), weight called a discus in an attempt to mark a further distance than other competitors. It is a ...

on 1 June 1991 at 62.24 m and in the men's

shot put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...

on 22 June 1991 at 19.09 m. He is still the current Israeli record holder. His discus throw record in Israel remains unbroken, showcasing the enduring legacy of his achievements. Avrunin further solidified his position in Israeli track and field, claiming victory in discus throw at the Israeli Championship in 1991 and 1992. Additionally, he secured first place in shot put in 1991, 1992, 1995, and 1996 in various tournaments and competitions.

IAAF controversy

Igor Avrunin emigrated to Israel in 1990. International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) requires an emigrating citizen to live for three years in a new country before competing in international tournaments. However, the president of the Soviet track and field federation, Igor Ter-Ovanesyan, signed an agreement that allowed recent Soviet emigres to Israel to compete after just one year of residence. 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 Rogel Nachum (or Nahum, ; born 21 May 1967) is a retired Israeli triple jumper, whose personal best was 17.20 meters, achieved in June 1992 in Seville. Nachum participated in three Olympic Games: Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 where ...

(men's triple jump) and Orit Kolodni (women's 200 and 400 meters). Thanks to this agreement Avrunin was able to participate at 1991 World Championship in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

and the

1991 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 3rd IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Palacio Municipal de Deportes San Pablo in Seville, Spain from March 8 to March 10, 1991. It was the first Indoor Championships to include relay races as well as women's triple ...

Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Post-athletic career

After retiring from professional sports, Avrunin pursued diverse interests. He dedicated his time to teaching mathematics and physics, worked in a metal processing factory for four years, and independently explored his passion for computers. He later completed programming courses and became a skilled software engineer. His journey exemplifies a successful transition from athletic achievements to professional proficiency in a different field. In his free time, Avrunin shared his expertise by mentoring young discus throwers and shot put athletes. His commitment to nurturing the next generation showcased his dedication to the sport beyond his own competitive years. 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.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Avrunin, Igor 1957 births 2020 deaths Sportspeople from Gomel Athletes from Gomel Israeli male shot putters Israeli male discus throwers Olympic athletes for Israel Israeli people of Belarusian-Jewish descent 20th-century Israeli sportsmen