Gintautas Umaras

Who is Gintautas Umaras?

Gintautas Umaras is a retired track and road racing cyclist from Lithuania, who represented the USSR at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. There he won the gold medal in the men's 4 km individual pursuit and in the men's team pursuit, alongside Vyacheslav Ekimov, Dmitry Nelyubin and Artūras Kasputis. During the Soviet time he trained at Dynamo sports society in Klaipėda.

For most of his career he competed at amateur level. He was a professional road cyclist from 1989 to 1991. Umaras achieved several world records: in 1984 he broke the record in men's 5 km individual pursuit; in 1985, 1986, and 1987 – in men's 4 km individual pursuit; and in 1988 – in men's 4 km team pursuit.

Umaras was among the people who helped to establish the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania when Lithuania declared independence from the Soviet Union. He was appointed as one of its vice presidents. Gintautas and his brother Mindaugas run several sport equipment shops in Vilnius and Klaipėda.