Krisztián Pars (; born 18 February 1982) is a Hungarian hammer thrower. He competed at the Summer Olympics in 2004, 2008, and 2012, winning the gold medal in 2012. He also won the 2012 and 2014 European championships.
Career His personal best throw is 82.69 metres, achieved at the 2014 European Championships in Zurich. Pars previously held the world junior record (6 kg) with 81.35 metres, achieved in September 2001 in Szombathely. He took fourth place at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was initially upgraded to the silver medal after the doping disqualification of original medallists Vadim Devyatovskiy and Ivan Tsikhan in December 2008, but both had their medals reinstated two years later. That same year he won the silver medal in the hammer at the 2008 European Winter Throwing Cup meeting in Split and another silver at the 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final.
In the 2009 season, he began well with a victory at the 2009 European Winter Throwing Cup, but missed out on a major medal at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics with a fourth-place finish. He took the bronze at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final, the last year the competition was held.
He won the bronze medal at the 2010 European Athletics Championships, his first medal of the championships. At the end of the year he took part in the Pál Németh Memorial (a meeting in honour of his mentor Pál Németh), winning his second title of the competition with a throw of 78.34 metres.Gyulai, Marton (11 September 2010). Pars defends title at Pál Németh Memorial. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-09-11. At the 2012 London Olympics he took the gold in the hammer throw with a winning toss of 80.59 m.
On 10 April 2018, he was banned until July 2019 because of a doping violation. He apologized to everybody for making a bad decision in a hard situation at a birthday party, as he tried something he had never before while being drunk. Later, based on public information from the AIU (Athletics Integrity Unit), it was revealed that cocaine was found in his blood.
Achievements Representing 1999World Youth ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, Poland 1st74.76 m (5 kg)2003European U23 ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, Poland1st77.25 m2004Olympic GamesAthens, Greece 4th78.73 mWorld Athletics FinalSzombathely, Hungary 3rd79.17 m2005World ChampionshipsHelsinki, Finland 5th78.03 mWorld Athletics FinalSzombathely, Hungary 5th78.32 m2006European ChampionshipsGothenburg, Sweden 6th78.34 mWorld Athletics FinalStuttgart, Germany 3rd80.41 m2007World ChampionshipsOsaka, Japan5th80.93 mWorld Athletics FinalStuttgart, Germany 2nd78.42 m2008Olympic GamesBeijing, China4th80.96 mWorld Athletics FinalStuttgart, Germany 2nd79.37 m2009World ChampionshipsBerlin, Germany4th77.45 mWorld Athletics FinalThessaloniki, Greece 3rd77.49 m2010European ChampionshipsBarcelona, Spain 3rd79.06 m2011World ChampionshipsDaegu, South Korea 2nd81.18 m2012European ChampionshipsHelsinki, Finland 1st79.72 mOlympic GamesLondon, United Kingdom 1st80.59 m2013World ChampionshipsMoscow, Russia 2nd80.30 m2014European ChampionshipsZurich, Switzerland 1st82.69 m2015World ChampionshipsBeijing, China4th77.32 m2016Olympic GamesRio de Janeiro, Brazil7th75.28 m2017World ChampionshipsLondon, United Kingdom14th (q)74.08 m2019World ChampionshipsDoha, Qatar22nd (q)73.05 m2022European ChampionshipsMunich, Germany –NM
Awards Hungarian youth athlete of the year (1): 1999 Hungarian junior athlete of the year (1): 2001, 2002 Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary – Bronze Cross (2004) Hungarian athlete of the Year (8): 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Person of the year in Vas County (2008) Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary – Knight's Cross (2008) For Homeland honour (2012) Honorary Citizen of Szentgotthárd (2012) Order of Merit of Hungary – Officer's Cross (2012)
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