Heino Puuste

URSMen

Heino Puuste (born 7 September 1955 in Lagedi) is a retired Estonian javelin thrower who represented the USSR and later Estonia. He finished fourth at both the 1980 Summer Olympics and the 1983 World Championships, and won a silver medal at the 1982 European Championships.

He also won bronze medals at the Universiade in 1979 and 1981. On 6 May 1983 he threw at Birmingham a new Soviet record of 94.20 meters, eclipsing the old mark (and former world record) of 93.80 by Jānis Lūsis.

This record was never beaten as increasing distances and frequent flat or ambiguous landings prompted a change to a new javelin design, effective starting in 1986. Puuste later became an athletics coach, most notably coaching the 2005 javelin throw world champion Andrus Värnik.