Vasiliy Alekseyev
Encyclopedia
Vasiliy Ivanovich Alekseyev ' onMouseout='HidePop("75930")' href="/topics/Ryazan_Oblast">Ryazan Oblast
- November 25, 2011 Germany
) was a weightlifter from the Soviet Union
. He set 80 world records and 81 Soviet records in weightlifting and won gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics
in Munich and the 1976 Summer Olympics
in Montreal.
until 1968, when he began to train there solo.
In January 1970 Alekseyev set his first world record, beginning a series of 80 world records the weightlifter set between 1970 and 1977. He was unbeaten and held the World Championship and European Championship titles for those eight years. He was the first man to total over 600 kg in the triple event.
However, Alekseyev's performance in the Moscow Olympics
of 1980 was a disappointment. In the snatch he set his opening weight too high and was unable to lift it, scoring zero kilograms as the result. He retired from weightlifting after the Moscow Olympics.
In 1987, Alekseyev was elected to represent the Ryazan District
for the Soviet Union's Congress of People's Deputies
. Alekseyev worked as a coach between 1990 and 1992. Under his leadership the Unified Team
earned ten medals in weightlifting at the 1992 Summer Olympics
, including five golds.
In 1999, in Greece
, Alekseyev was acknowledged as the best sportsman of the 20th century. He was also awarded Order of Lenin
(1972), Order of Friendship of Peoples
, Order of the Badge of Honour (1970), Order of the Red Banner of Labour
(1972). In 1993 he was elected member of the International Weightlifting Federation
Hall of Fame
.
Since 1966 he has lived in Shakhty
. In 1971 Alekseyev graduated from the branch of the Novocherkassk
Polytechnical Institute in Shakhty.
Alekseyev featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated
on April 14, 1975, titled "World's Strongest Man".
Alekseyev died on 25 November 2011 in Germany
in a clinic where he had been sent due to serious heart problems. He was 69. The Russian Weightlifting Federation reported his death and called him a "Soviet sports legend" and "one of the strongest people in the world".
Profile
Ryazan Oblast
Ryazan Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Ryazan, which is the oblast's largest city. Population: -Geography:...
- November 25, 2011 Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) was a weightlifter from 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....
. He set 80 world records and 81 Soviet records in weightlifting and won gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
in Munich and the 1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
in Montreal.
Biography
Alekseyev began practicing weightlifting at age 18. Alekseyev was trained at Trud Voluntary Sports Society by his coach Rudolf PlyukfelderRudolf Plyukfelder
Rudolf Vladimirovich Plyukfelder is a former Russian weightlifter and Olympic champion who competed for the Soviet Union.He is Jewish, and was born in Novoorlovka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR....
until 1968, when he began to train there solo.
In January 1970 Alekseyev set his first world record, beginning a series of 80 world records the weightlifter set between 1970 and 1977. He was unbeaten and held the World Championship and European Championship titles for those eight years. He was the first man to total over 600 kg in the triple event.
However, Alekseyev's performance in the Moscow Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
of 1980 was a disappointment. In the snatch he set his opening weight too high and was unable to lift it, scoring zero kilograms as the result. He retired from weightlifting after the Moscow Olympics.
In 1987, Alekseyev was elected to represent the Ryazan District
Ryazan Oblast
Ryazan Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Ryazan, which is the oblast's largest city. Population: -Geography:...
for the Soviet Union's Congress of People's Deputies
Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union
The Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union was the highest body of state authority of the Soviet Union from 1989 to 1991.-Background:...
. Alekseyev worked as a coach between 1990 and 1992. Under his leadership the Unified Team
Unified Team
The Unified Team was the name used for the sports team of the former Soviet Union at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. The IOC country code was EUN, after the French name, Équipe Unifiée...
earned ten medals in weightlifting at the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
, including five golds.
In 1999, in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Alekseyev was acknowledged as the best sportsman of the 20th century. He was also awarded Order of Lenin
Order of Lenin
The Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...
(1972), Order of Friendship of Peoples
Order of Friendship of Peoples
The Order of Friendship of Peoples was an order of the Soviet Union, and was awarded to persons , organizations, enterprises, military units, as well as administrative subdivisions of the USSR for accomplishments in strengthening of inter-ethnic and international friendship and cooperation, for...
, Order of the Badge of Honour (1970), Order of the Red Banner of Labour
Order of the Red Banner of Labour
The Order of the Red Banner of Labour was an order of the Soviet Union for accomplishments in labour and civil service. It is the labour counterpart of the military Order of the Red Banner. A few institutions and factories, being the pride of Soviet Union, also received the order.-History:The Red...
(1972). In 1993 he was elected member of the International Weightlifting Federation
International Weightlifting Federation
The International Weightlifting Federation , headquartered in Budapest, is the international governing body for the sport of Olympic weightlifting.The IWF was founded in 1905, and has 187 member nations. The IWF president is Dr...
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
.
Since 1966 he has lived in Shakhty
Shakhty
Shakhty is a city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the southeastern spur of Donetsk mountain ridge, northeast of Rostov-on-Don. Its population was 240,152 per the preliminary results of the 2010 Census; up from 222,592 recorded in the 2002 Census....
. In 1971 Alekseyev graduated from the branch of the Novocherkassk
Novocherkassk
Novocherkassk is a city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Tuzlov River and on the Aksay River. Population: 169,039 ; 170,822 ; 178,000 ; 123,000 ; 81,000 ; 52,000 ....
Polytechnical Institute in Shakhty.
Alekseyev featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
on April 14, 1975, titled "World's Strongest Man".
Alekseyev died on 25 November 2011 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in a clinic where he had been sent due to serious heart problems. He was 69. The Russian Weightlifting Federation reported his death and called him a "Soviet sports legend" and "one of the strongest people in the world".
Profile
- Bodyweight: 161.75 kg (356.6 lb) (1980 Summer Olympics1980 Summer OlympicsThe 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
); - Height: 6 foot 1 inch (1.86 metres).
Career bests
- SnatchSnatch (weightlifting)The snatch is one of the two olympic weightlifting events .The essence of the event is to lift a barbell from the platform to locked arms overhead in a smooth continuous movement. The barbell is pulled as high as the lifter can manage at which point the barbell is flipped overhead...
: 190.0 kg in 1977-09-01 on PodolskPodolskPodolsk is an industrial city and the administrative center of Podolsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Pakhra River...
; - Clean and pressClean and pressThe clean and press is a weight training exercise, and was part of the sport of weightlifting in the Olympics until 1972. It was removed from Olympic weightlifting due to difficulties in judging proper technique....
: 236.5 kg, official world record until 1972; - Clean and jerkClean and jerkThe clean and jerk is one of the two Olympic weightlifting events .The clean portion of the lift refers to the lifter explosively pulling the weight from the floor to a racked position across deltoids and clavicles...
: 256.0 kg in 1977-11-01 on MoscowMoscowMoscow 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...
; - Total: 645.0 kg (clean and press + snatch + clean and jerk), in 1972-04-15, on TallinnTallinnTallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, official world record until 1972; - Total: 445.0 kg (snatch + clean and jerk) on Podolsk.
World records
- 1/24/1970 Clean & Press 210.5 kg Super Heavyweight Velikie Luki
- 1/24/1970 Clean & Jerk 221.5 kg Super Heavyweight Velikie Luki
- 1/24/1970 Total (3) 592.5 kg Super Heavyweight Velikie Luki
- 1/24/1970 Total (3) 595 kg Super Heavyweight Velikie Luki
- 3/18/1970 Clean & Press 213 kg Super Heavyweight Minsk
- 3/18/1970 Total (3) 600 kg Super Heavyweight Minsk
- 4/26/1970 Clean & Press 216 kg Super Heavyweight Vilnius
- 4/26/1970 Clean & Jerk 223.5 kg Super Heavyweight Vilnius
- 4/26/1970 Total (3) 602.5 kg Super Heavyweight Vilnius
- 4/26/1970 Total (3) 607.5 kg Super Heavyweight Vilnius
- 6/28/1970 Clean & Press 219.5 kg Super Heavyweight Szombathely
- 6/28/1970 Clean & Jerk 225.5 kg Super Heavyweight Szombathely
- 6/28/1970 Total (3) 610 kg Super Heavyweight Szombathely
- 6/28/1970 Total (3) 612.5 kg Super Heavyweight Szombathely
- 9/20/1970 Clean & Jerk 227.5 kg Super Heavyweight Columbus
- 11/17/1970 Clean & Press 220.5 kg Super Heavyweight Volgograd
- 11/17/1970 Clean & Jerk 228 kg Super Heavyweight Volgograd
- 12/4/1970 Snatch 177 kg Super Heavyweight Shakhty
- 12/4/1970 Clean & Press 221 kg Super Heavyweight Shakhty
- 12/4/1970 Clean & Jerk 228.5 kg Super Heavyweight Shakhty
- 12/4/1970 Total (3) 615 kg Super Heavyweight Shakhty
- 12/4/1970 Total (3) 620 kg Super Heavyweight Shakhty
- 12/26/1970 Clean & Press 222 kg Super Heavyweight Dnepropetrovsk
- 12/26/1970 Clean & Jerk 229.5 kg Super Heavyweight Dnepropetrovsk
- 12/26/1970 Total (3) 622.5 kg Super Heavyweight Dnepropetrovsk
- 12/26/1970 Total (3) 625 kg Super Heavyweight Dnepropetrovsk
- 2/14/1971 Snatch 177.5 kg Super Heavyweight Paris
- 2/14/1971 Clean & Press 222.5 kg Super Heavyweight Paris
- 2/14/1971 Clean & Jerk 230 kg Super Heavyweight Paris
- 3/26/1971 Clean & Press 223 kg Super Heavyweight Wienn
- 4/7/1971 Clean & Press 223.5 kg Super Heavyweight Moscow
- 4/18/1971 Clean & Jerk 230.5 kg Super Heavyweight Taganrog
- 6/27/1971 Clean & Press 225 kg Super Heavyweight Sofia
- 6/27/1971 Clean & Jerk 231 kg Super Heavyweight Sofia
- 6/27/1971 Clean & Jerk 232.5 kg Super Heavyweight Sofia
- 6/27/1971 Total (3) 627.5 kg Super Heavyweight Sofia
- 6/27/1971 Total (3) 630 kg Super Heavyweight Sofia
- 7/24/1971 Snatch 180 kg Super Heavyweight Moscow
- 7/24/1971 Clean & Press 225.5 kg Super Heavyweight Moscow
- 7/24/1971 Clean & Jerk 233 kg Super Heavyweight Moscow
- 7/24/1971 Clean & Jerk 235 kg Super Heavyweight Moscow
- 7/24/1971 Total (3) 632.5 kg Super Heavyweight Moscow
- 7/24/1971 Total (3) 637.5 kg Super Heavyweight Moscow
- 7/24/1971 Total (3) 640 kg Super Heavyweight Moscow
- 9/26/1971 Clean & Press 227 kg Super Heavyweight Lima
- 9/26/1971 Clean & Press 230 kg Super Heavyweight Lima
- 9/26/1971 Clean & Jerk 235.5 kg Super Heavyweight Lima
- 3/19/1972 Clean & Press 231.5 kg Super Heavyweight Bollnas
- 3/19/1972 Clean & Press 235.5 kg Super Heavyweight Bollnas
- 4/15/1972 Clean & Jerk 236 kg Super Heavyweight Tallinn
- 4/15/1972 Clean & Press 236.5 kg Super Heavyweight Tallinn
- 4/15/1972 Clean & Jerk 237.5 kg Super Heavyweight Tallinn
- 4/15/1972 Total (3) 642.5 kg Super Heavyweight Tallinn
- 4/15/1972 Total (3) 645 kg Super Heavyweight Tallinn
- 4/29/1972 Clean & Jerk 238 kg Super Heavyweight Donetsk
- 6/18/1973 Clean & Jerk 240 kg Super Heavyweight Madrid
- 6/18/1973 Total 417.5 kg Super Heavyweight Madrid
- 1/3/1974 Clean & Jerk 242 kg Super Heavyweight Glazov
- 3/20/1974 Clean & Jerk 240.5 kg Super Heavyweight Erevan
- 4/28/1974 Clean & Jerk 241 kg Super Heavyweight Tbilisi
- 4/28/1974 Total 420 kg Super Heavyweight Tbilisi
- 6/6/1974 Snatch 187.5 kg Super Heavyweight Verona
- 6/6/1974 Total 422.5 kg Super Heavyweight Verona
- 9/23/1974 Clean & Jerk 245.5 kg Super Heavyweight Moscow
- 9/29/1974 Clean & Jerk 241.5 kg Super Heavyweight Manila
- 9/29/1974 Total 425 kg Super Heavyweight Manila
- 11/27/1974 Clean & Jerk 242.5 kg Super Heavyweight London
- 12/14/1974 Clean & Jerk 243 kg Super Heavyweight Zaporozhe
- 12/29/1974 Clean & Jerk 243.5 kg Super Heavyweight Lipetsk
- 7/11/1975 Clean & Jerk 245 kg Super Heavyweight Vilnius
- 9/23/1975 Total 427.5 kg Super Heavyweight Moscow
- 11/11/1975 Clean and Jerk 246 kg Super Heavyweight Arkhangelsk
- 11/11/1975 Total 430 kg Super Heavyweight Arkhangelsk
- 12/7/1975 Clean & Jerk 247.5 kg Super Heavyweight Montreal
- 5/15/1976 Total 435 kg Super Heavyweight Karaganda
- 7/27/1976 Clean & Jerk 255 kg Super Heavyweight Montreal
- 9/1/1977 Clean & Jerk 255.5 kg Super Heavyweight Podolsk
- 9/1/1977 Total 445 kg Super Heavyweight Podolsk
- 11/1/1977 Clean & Jerk 256 kg Super Heavyweight Moscow
External links
- Biography with many photos (in Russian)