Gunnar Huseby
Gunnar Alexander Huseby (4 November 1923 – 28 May 1995) was an Icelandic track and field athlete who competed in the shot put and discus throw events. He won consecutive gold medals at the European Athletics Championships in 1946 and 1950, becoming Iceland's first European champion in athletics. This placed him among the country's first top international sportsmen, following its independence in 1944. He remains the only Icelandic athlete to win two European athletics titles.
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
| Representing Iceland | ||
| European Athletics Championships | ||
| 1946 Oslo | Shot put | |
| 1950 Brussels | Shot put | |
He won eighteen Icelandic national titles in total: ten in shot put, six in discus throw and two in hammer throw. His personal best marks of 16.74 m (54 ft 11 in) for the shot put and 50.13 m (164 ft 5+1⁄2 in) for the discus were Icelandic records.
Despite his national success, he also caused controversy in Iceland due to his alcoholism and a physical assault, for which he served a jail sentence. As a result, he was banned from competition for a period by the national governing body.