Valeri Borzov
Encyclopedia
Valeriy Borzov is a Soviet athlete; an Olympic; former president of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee, and the Ukrainian Minister for Youth and Sports. In 1972 he won both the 100 m and 200 m sprint events for the Soviet Union
at the Olympic Games
in Munich
.
, Drohobych Oblast
, Soviet Union
, Borzov started his track and field career in 1968. He became a household name in the Track and Field circles after having won the sprint-double at the 1971 European Championships in Helsinki
. He had already won the 100 m championship in 1969, when he equalled Armin Hary
's nine year-old European record
of 10.0 seconds.
At the 1972 Munich Olympics, two of the American favorites, Eddie Hart and Rey Robinson, missed the 100 m quarterfinals due to a misunderstanding about the starting time of the heats. Their times in the trials were both 9.9 with Eddie Hart just ahead. After Borzov had won the 100 m sprint with relative ease, the Americans promised they would beat Borzov in the 200 m competition.
However, with all three Americans in the final this time, Borzov won again in a great style. The picture, featuring Borzov winning the 200 m heats at the 1972 Summer Olympics was selected for the Voyager Golden Record
and later launched into space aboard two Voyager
spacecraft in 1977. As a consolation, the Americans won the relays with the Soviets taking second place.
Between the 1972 and the 1976 Olympics, Borzov spent more time on his studies and soccer. Still, this did not stop him from winning his third successive 100 m title at the European Championships
in 1974. Rumours of a planned assassination attempt and his possible defection attempt surrounded his appearance at the Montreal Olympics. He finished third in the 100 m race, his fourth Olympic medal. In the 4 x 100 m relays, his team won another bronze.
A persisting injury forced Borzov to abandon his hopes to participate in his third Olympic Games. He ended his career in 1979. About that time, he married Ludmilla Tourischeva
, a four-time Olympic champion in gymnastics
.
since 1994. He has also held a Youth and Sports cabinet minister position with the Government of Ukraine
from 1991 till 1997. From 1998 until 2006, he was a member of the Ukrainian parliament. First for Rukh
(1998), then for the faction "Reforms Center" (1998–1999), All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" (1999–2001) and Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united) (from 2001).
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....
at the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
Career
Born in SambirSambir
Sambir is a city in the Lviv Oblast, Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Sambir Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast. It is located at around , close to the border with Poland.-History:...
, Drohobych Oblast
Drohobych Oblast
Drohobych Oblast , was an oblast in the Ukrainian SSR. It had a territory of 9.6 thousands of km³, and population of 853 thousand .-History:...
, 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....
, Borzov started his track and field career in 1968. He became a household name in the Track and Field circles after having won the sprint-double at the 1971 European Championships in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. He had already won the 100 m championship in 1969, when he equalled Armin Hary
Armin Hary
Armin Hary is a German athlete. In 1960 he became the first non-American since 1928 to win the Olympic 100 metres.Born in Quierschied, Saarland, after playing football in his youth, Hary switched to sprinting at age 16...
's nine year-old European record
European record progression 100 metres men
The following table shows the European record progression in the men's 100 metres, as ratified by the EAA- Hand Timing :- Automatic Timing :...
of 10.0 seconds.
At the 1972 Munich Olympics, two of the American favorites, Eddie Hart and Rey Robinson, missed the 100 m quarterfinals due to a misunderstanding about the starting time of the heats. Their times in the trials were both 9.9 with Eddie Hart just ahead. After Borzov had won the 100 m sprint with relative ease, the Americans promised they would beat Borzov in the 200 m competition.
However, with all three Americans in the final this time, Borzov won again in a great style. The picture, featuring Borzov winning the 200 m heats at the 1972 Summer Olympics was selected for the Voyager Golden Record
Voyager Golden Record
The Voyager Golden Records are phonograph records which were included aboard both Voyager spacecraft, which were launched in 1977. They contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form, or for...
and later launched into space aboard two Voyager
Voyager program
The Voyager program is a U.S program that launched two unmanned space missions, scientific probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. They were launched in 1977 to take advantage of a favorable planetary alignment of the late 1970s...
spacecraft in 1977. As a consolation, the Americans won the relays with the Soviets taking second place.
Between the 1972 and the 1976 Olympics, Borzov spent more time on his studies and soccer. Still, this did not stop him from winning his third successive 100 m title at the European Championships
European Championships in Athletics
The European Athletics Championships is an event organized by the European Athletic Association. It is organised every four years, the same year as the Commonwealth Games and between the Summer Olympic Games cycle. After the 2010 Championships in Barcelona, the European Championships will take...
in 1974. Rumours of a planned assassination attempt and his possible defection attempt surrounded his appearance at the Montreal Olympics. He finished third in the 100 m race, his fourth Olympic medal. In the 4 x 100 m relays, his team won another bronze.
A persisting injury forced Borzov to abandon his hopes to participate in his third Olympic Games. He ended his career in 1979. About that time, he married Ludmilla Tourischeva
Ludmilla Tourischeva
Ludmilla Ivanovna Tourischeva is a former Russian gymnast and a nine-time Olympic medalist for the Soviet Union.Tourischeva began gymnastics in 1965 and began competing for the Soviet team as early as in 1967...
, a four-time Olympic champion in gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
.
Political career
From 1991 to 1998, Borzov served as the president of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee. He has been a member of the International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
since 1994. He has also held a Youth and Sports cabinet minister position with the Government of Ukraine
Government of Ukraine
Government of Ukraine is often associated with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. However it should be considered that Ukraine is a country under a semi-presidential system with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government...
from 1991 till 1997. From 1998 until 2006, he was a member of the Ukrainian parliament. First for Rukh
People's Movement of Ukraine
The People's Movement of Ukraine is a Ukrainian center-right political party...
(1998), then for the faction "Reforms Center" (1998–1999), All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" (1999–2001) and Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united) (from 2001).