By Gary Anderson

A special memorial service has been held to mark the 25th anniversary of the death of Hungarian Olympic champion Imre Németh ©MOBFormer Olympic hammer champion Imre Németh was remembered at a special memorial service in Budapest to mark the 25th anniversary of his death in 1989 at the age of 71.

The service took place at the graveside of Németh in the Farkasréti Cemetery in the Hungarian capital and was attended by members of the Hungarian Olympic Committee (MOB), including Bela Győr from the Memorial and Preservation Commission, part of the Hungarian Olympic Academy.

Following the playing of the Olympic anthem, Győr welcomed those attending to the service, before speaking about the impact and legacy of Németh and his memories of the man.

Németh won Olympic hammer throw gold at the 1948 Games in London and followed that up with a bronze medal at Helsinki four years later.

He also held the world record on three separate occasions, the last of which was set in his native Budapest in 1950 when he threw 59.88 metres.

Imre Németh throwing for hammer gold at the London Olympic Games in 1948 ©AFP/Getty ImagesImre Németh throwing for hammer gold at the London Olympic Games in 1948
©AFP/Getty Images




His son Miklós Németh is also a former Olympic and world record holder.

He threw 94.58m to take javelin gold at Montreal 1976.

Joining members of Németh's family at the service was 78-year-old Lídia Sákovicsné Dömölky, who won women's team foil fencing gold at the Tokyo 1964 Olympics, and she also shared her memories of the late hammer thrower.

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