Uno Palu

Uno Palu took up track and field athletics in his youth, but his opportunities to train were limited until after World War II. In 1951 he was second in high jump in the Soviet junior championships, but as a senior he came to focus on the decathlon. He was selected to represent the Soviet Union in that event at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, where he just missed a medal in fourth. At the 1958 European Championships, however, he won silver behind his compatriot Vasily Kuznetsov, who won decathlon bronze medals in Melbourne and Roma. In both 1956 and 1958, Palu was voted Estonian Sports Personality of the Year.

Domestically, Palu won silver at the Soviet championships in 1958 and bronze in 1955, 1956, and 1960. Despite this, he was removed from the delegation to the 1960 Rome Olympics for political reasons, which led to his retirement from active competition. During his career, he set 14 Estonian records. Having graduated from Tallinn University with a degree in physical education, he later worked as a sports instructor and coach.

Personal Best: Dec - 7454 (1960).