Eduard Gushchin
Encyclopedia
Eduard Viktorovich Gushchin was a Soviet
athlete who competed mainly in the shot put
. His career was highlighted by an Olympic bronze medal in 1968 and he was also a two-time national champion. He was a distinctive athlete in that he always competed while wearing dark-rimmed spectacles.
Gushchin was born in Motygino, Motyginsky District
, Krasnoyarsk Krai
, and he trained at VSS Trud in Moscow Oblast
, gaining honours as a Master of Sports of the USSR, International Class
. He made his international debut for the Soviet Union in 1965 at that year's Summer Universiade and he was the bronze medal
list in the shot put, an event which was won by 1964 Olympic runner-up Randy Matson
. He threw 18.23 m in the qualifying rounds of the 1966 European Athletics Championships, but did not perform as well in the final, ending the competition in 12th place. The following year he competed at the 1967 European Indoor Games
and claimed the silver medal
with a throw of 18.96 m, finishing second only to the reigning USSR champion Nikolay Karasyov.
He reached the peak of his career in 1968, beginning with a national shot put title outdoors with a put of 19.60 m. This brought him selection for the event at the 1968 Summer Olympics
in Mexico City
. At the competition he broke the Soviet record with his first throw of the final, recording 20.09 m to become the first man from the USSR to clear the twenty-metre mark. This feat brought him the Olympic bronze medal behind Americans Matson and George Woods
. After this he did not reach the same distances, managing only sixth place at the 1969 European Athletics Championships. He took a second Soviet shot put national title in 1970.
Following the end of his shot putting career, he worked in the athletics department of the USSR Sports Committee and also as a physiotherapist. He died on March 14, 2011 in Moscow
at the age of 70.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
athlete who competed mainly in the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
. His career was highlighted by an Olympic bronze medal in 1968 and he was also a two-time national champion. He was a distinctive athlete in that he always competed while wearing dark-rimmed spectacles.
Gushchin was born in Motygino, Motyginsky District
Motyginsky District
Motyginsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the forty-three in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. It is located in the central portion of the krai and borders with Severo-Yeniseysky District in the north, Evenkiysky District in the northeast, Boguchansky District in the east,...
, Krasnoyarsk Krai
Krasnoyarsk Krai
Krasnoyarsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It is the second largest federal subject after the Sakha Republic, and Russia's largest krai, occupying an area of , which is 13% of the country's total territory. The administrative center of the krai is the city of Krasnoyarsk...
, and he trained at VSS Trud in Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast , or Podmoskovye , is a federal subject of Russia . Its area, at , is relatively small compared to other federal subjects, but it is one of the most densely populated regions in the country and, with the 2010 population of 7,092,941, is the second most populous federal subject...
, gaining honours as a Master of Sports of the USSR, International Class
Unified Sports Classification System of the USSR
Unified Sports Classification System of the USSR is a document which provided general Soviet physical education system requirements for athletes. The classification was established in 1935 and was based on separate classifications, which existed for several sports disciplines before...
. He made his international debut for the Soviet Union in 1965 at that year's Summer Universiade and he was the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
list in the shot put, an event which was won by 1964 Olympic runner-up Randy Matson
Randy Matson
James Randel Matson is a former United States Olympic shot put thrower. In 1968 he stood , and weighed about .-Early years:...
. He threw 18.23 m in the qualifying rounds of the 1966 European Athletics Championships, but did not perform as well in the final, ending the competition in 12th place. The following year he competed at the 1967 European Indoor Games
1967 European Indoor Games
The 2nd European Indoor Games were held at Sportovní hala, Prague, Czechoslovakia from 11 march to 12 march 1977.-Track:-Field:-Medal table:- External links :* on the website of Maik Richter* at gbrathletics* at gbrathletics...
and claimed the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
with a throw of 18.96 m, finishing second only to the reigning USSR champion Nikolay Karasyov.
He reached the peak of his career in 1968, beginning with a national shot put title outdoors with a put of 19.60 m. This brought him selection for the event at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics
At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, 36 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 12 for women. There were a total number of 1031 participating athletes from 93 countries....
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. At the competition he broke the Soviet record with his first throw of the final, recording 20.09 m to become the first man from the USSR to clear the twenty-metre mark. This feat brought him the Olympic bronze medal behind Americans Matson and George Woods
George Woods (athlete)
George Woods was an Olympic track and field athlete.As a senior at Sikeston High School, Woods became the first Missouri high school athlete to top 60 ft in the shot put event, setting a Sikeston school record that still stands to this day...
. After this he did not reach the same distances, managing only sixth place at the 1969 European Athletics Championships. He took a second Soviet shot put national title in 1970.
Following the end of his shot putting career, he worked in the athletics department of the USSR Sports Committee and also as a physiotherapist. He died on March 14, 2011 in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
at the age of 70.