| Kalevi Kotkas | |
| Fullname: | Kalevi Kotkas |
| Nationality: | Estonian, Finnish |
| Birth Date: | 10 August 1913 |
| Birth Place: | Tallinn, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire |
| Death Place: | Vantaa, Finland |
| Height: | 194 cm |
| Weight: | 100 kg |
| Sport: | Athletics |
| Event: | High jump, discus throw, shot put |
| Club: | Helsingin Kisa-Veikot |
| Pb: | HJ – 2.04 m (1936) DT – 51.27 m (1937) SP – 15.55 m (1938) |
| Show-Medals: | yes |
Kalevi Kotkas (10 August 1913 – 24 August 1983) was an Estonian-born Finnish athlete, specializing in high jump, discus throw and shot put. He became the first ever European champion in high jump, in 1934 in Turin, and competed in the 1932 and 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1936 he cleared the same height of 2.00 m as the medalists Dave Albritton and Delos Thurber, but made more attempts and was placed fourth.[1]
Kalevi Kotkas set four European records in high jump, but two of them – achieved in Rio de Janeiro in 1934 – were never ratified. The ratified records were 2.03 meters (Helsinki, 12 July 1936) and 2.04 meters (Gothenburg, 1 September 1936).[2]
| Representing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | Olympic Games | Los Angeles, USA | 7th | Discus throw | 45.87 m |
| 1934 | European Championships | Turin, Italy | 1st | High jump | 2.00 m |
| 10th | Discus throw | 42.50 m | |||
| 1936 | Olympic Games | Berlin, Germany | 4th | High jump | 2.00 m |
| 21st (q) | Discus throw | x | |||
| 1938 | European Championships | Paris, France | 2nd | High jump | 1.94 m |
| 4th | Discus throw | 48.63 m | |||
| 11th | Shot put | 13.92 m | |||