Rustam Akhmetov is a retired high jump

High jump

The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....

er who represented the Soviet Union

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....

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He was born in Zhytomyr

Zhytomyr

Zhytomyr is a city in the North of the western half of Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Zhytomyr Oblast , as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Zhytomyr Raion...

, Ukrainian SSR

Ukrainian SSR

The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...

, and was affiliated with the VSS Avangard in Berdyansk.

He won bronze medals at the 1968 European Junior Championships and the 1971 European Championships

1971 European Championships in Athletics

The 10th European Athletics Championships were held from 10 August to 15 August 1971 in the Olympic Stadium of Helsinki, the capital of Finland.-Track:1966 |1969 |1971 |1974 |1978-Field:1966 |1969 |1971 |1974 |1978-Track:...

, and finished eighth in the high jump final at the 1972 Olympic Games

Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics

At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, 38 events in athletics were contested, 24 for men and 14 for women. There were a total number of 1324 participating athletes from 104 countries.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:*...

. He became Soviet high jump champion in 1971, rivalling with Sergey Budalov

Sergey Budalov

Sergey Budalov is a retired high jumper who represented the Soviet Union. Budalov trained at Spartak in Moscow Oblast. He finished fourth at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal and eighth at the 1971 European Indoor Championships in Sofia...

 and Kestutis Šapka

Kestutis Šapka

Kęstutis Šapka is a retired Lithuanian high jumper who represented the Soviet Union. He trained at Dynamo in Vilnius. Šapka was inspired to become a professional high jumper after the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico and became one of the early adopters of Fosbury Flop. He retired due to recurring...

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His personal best jump was 2.23 metres, achieved in 1971.