Lithuania in the Olympic games

1. Lithuania in the Olympic games

2. For the first time Lithuania participated in the Olympic Games in 1924 in Paris. At that time it was represented by the football team and two cyclists. In 1952 in Helsinki Olympic Games Lithuanian sportsmen won Olympic medals for the first time: basketballersStepasButautas, JustinasLagunavičius and KazysPetkevičius became Olympic Vice-champions. At that time Lithuania was already occupied by the Soviet Union, thus the abovementioned  three Lithuanians became Olympic Vice-champions as members of the Soviet Union basketball team.

3. Boxer Danas Pozniakas wasthefirstLithuaniansportsman, Olympic Champion, whowonthegoldmedal at theMexicoOlympicGamesin 1968. Fornearly 50 yearsLithuania‘ssportsmenparticipated at theOlympicGamesundertheflagoftheforeigncountry, asmembersoftheSovietUnionteam. Duringtheperiodbetween 1952 (Helsinki OlympicGames) and 1988 (SeoulOlympicGames) Lithuania‘ssportsmenwon 25 goldmedals, 19 silvermedalsand 16 bronzemedals.

4. After the restoration of Lithuania‘s independence in 1990 our sportsmen participated in four summer and four winter Olympic Games. Participation in all the summer Olympic Games was successful for our sportsmen: they won 54 medals (6 gold medals, 5 silver medals and 43 bronze medal).

5. ThehistoryoftheparticipationofLithuania‘ssportsmenintheOlympicGamesrecordsfoursportsmenwhobecameOlympicChampionstwice:  basketballer Angelė Rupšienė, handballer Aldona Česaitytė-Nenėnienė,cyclist Gintautas Umaras anddiscusthrower Virgilijus Alekna.

6. VidasBičiulaitis (born August 11, 1971) is a retired boxer from Lithuania. He represented his native country at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, where he lost in the second round of the men's featherweight division (– 57 kg) to Russia's eventual bronze medalist KamilDjamaloudinov.

7. Čepulis represented the Soviet Union and participated in the 1968 Mexico City Olympiad. He took home the Heavyweight Silver Medal, losing in the finals to Gold Medalist and future World Champion George Foreman.

8. Egidijus Kavaliauskas (bornJune 29, 1988 inKaunas, Lithuania) isanundefeatedLithuanianprofessionalboxerintheLightWelterweightdivision. Kavaliauskas representedLithuania at the 2008 and 2012 OlympicsGames.[1][2] Egidijus istrainedbyformerIBF World ChampionboxerRoberto García.[3]

9. Ričardas Kuncaitis (born 28 June 1993[1]) is a Lithuanianboxer. HerepresentedLithuania at 2010 SummerYouthOlympicsandwongoldenmedal.

10. AlgirdasŠocikas (May 14, 1928 – November 21, 2012) was a Soviet Lithuanian boxer.[1] Šocikas was born in ŽaliasOstempas, Lithuania. He won the European Amateur Boxing Championships in the Heavyweight division twice: at Warsaw 1953 [2] and West Berlin 1955.[3] He participated in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. He won the Soviet championship six times (1950-1954, and 1956), the Lithuanian championship six times (1947, 1948, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956) and the Baltic championship three times (1948, 1950, 1952). He died, aged 84, in Kaunas, Lithuania, and was buried in Petrašiūnai Cemetery.[4]

11. Ričardas Tamulis (22 July 1938 inKaunas, Lithuania – 22 April 2008) was a boxerfromLithuania. HecompetedfortheSovietUnionnationalteaminthe1964 Olympicboxingtournament, heldinTokyo, Japan, andwonsilverinthewelterweightevent. HewasburiedinPetrašiūnai Cemetery.

12. EvaldasPetrauskas (born 19 March 1992) is a Lithuanian boxer. He represented Lithuania at 2010 Summer Youth Olympics and won a gold medal. At the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships he lost to Jai Bhagwan (IND). He won the Olympic qualifier and went to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. At the 2012 Summer Olympics he won a bronze medal in the men's lightweight division.