Ivans Klementjevs (born 18 November 1960 in Burtiki) is a Soviet-born Latvian politician and former sprint canoeist who competed from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. He won three Olympic medals in C-1 1000 m at the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics. The highlight was the gold medal in 1988, which he won as a competitor for the USSR. He trained at Trudovye Rezervy and later at the Armed Forces sports society in Riga when Latvia was part of the Soviet Union.

Ivans Klementjevs

Klementjevs in 2010
Medal record
Men's canoe sprint
Representing  Soviet Union
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1988 Seoul C-1 1000 m
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1985 Mechelen C-1 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 1989 Plovdiv C-1 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 1989 Plovdiv C-1 10000 m
Gold medal – first place 1990 Poznań C-1 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 1991 Paris C-1 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 1983 Tampere C-2 500 m
Silver medal – second place 1986 Montreal C-1 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 1991 Paris C-1 10000 m
Bronze medal – third place 1987 Duisburg C-1 1000 m
Bronze medal – third place 1990 Poznań C-1 10000 m
Representing  Latvia
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1992 Barcelona C-1 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 1996 Atlanta C-1 1000 m
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1993 Copenhagen C-1 1000 m
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Duisburg C-1 1000 m
Representing  Poland
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1994 Mexico City C-1 1000 m

He also won a total of twelve C-1 medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with seven golds (C-1 1000 m: 1985, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994; C-1 10000 m: 1989), two silvers (C-1 1000 m: 1986, C-1 10000 m: 1991), and three bronzes (C-1 1000 m: 1987, 1995; C-1 10000 m: 1990). Klementjev's only non C-1 world championship medal was a silver in the C-2 500 m event in 1983.

After retiring from canoeing, Klementijevs entered politics and was a Riga city councillor for the National Harmony Party from 2001 to 2005, and since 2006 is a member of the Saeima for Harmony.

He was awarded with the highest Latvian state decoration - the Order of the Three Stars, 4th Class in 1999.[1]

References

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  1. ^ vestnesis.lv (10 November 1999). "Par apbalvošanu ar Triju Zvaigžņu ordeni un ordeņa Goda zīmi - Latvijas Vēstnesis" [Of the awarding of the Order of the Three Stars and the Medal of Honor of the Order]. Latvijas Vēstnesis (in Latvian). Retrieved 1 December 2020.
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