Yuri Mikhaylov
Encyclopedia
Yuri Matveyevich Mikhaylov (born July 25, 1930 in Ulitino, Russia
- died July 15, 2008 Tver
, Russia ) was a speed skater
who competed for the Soviet Union
.
Born in the village of Ulitino in Staritsky District
of Tver Oblast
, Yuri Mikhaylov took up boxing
when he was young and in 1949, he became champion of Kalininsky District
of Tver Oblast. At the country's Junior Championships, he then won a bronze medal and it seemed that Mikhaylov had a nice future in boxing ahead of him. Besides liking boxing in itself, Mikhaylov also very much liked the exercises his trainer made him do, which included elements of athletics, bicycle racing, gymnastics, and more. But then his trainer left and Mikhaylov's new trainer forced him to do only boxing exercises. This made Mikhaylov lose interest in boxing.
Mikhaylov then decided to try skating. Originally, he skated only to keep occupied doing something that would exercise his muscles, but he soon fell in love with skating and became obsessed, dreaming about skating and unable to refrain from skating even a single day. But in 1951, he had to join the army. In the army, he was bored and he missed skating, drawing pictures of skates in letters he wrote. After having been demobilised, Mikhaylov, even more obsessed with skating than before, trained furiously and made up for all the skating he had missed while in the army.
He soon started to win medals at regional championships and he made his debut at the Soviet Allround Championships in 1954, skating only his favourite distance (the 1,500 m) in which he finished 4th. Early 1955, during races on the Medeo
rink of Alma-Ata
, he finished 2nd on the 1,500 m behind Yevgeny Grishin
who won the 1,500 m in a new world record time. At the Soviet Allround Championships that year, Mikhaylov finished 6th, while finishing second on the 1,500 m behind Boris Shilkov
.
Mikhaylov's best year came in 1956. During races in Davos
, he broke Yevgeny Grishin's 1,500 m world record. At the 1956 Winter Olympics
in Cortina d'Ampezzo
, he participated in the 500 m, but he fell and did not finish. Two days later was the day of his favourite distance, the 1,500 m and – ten days after Mikhaylov had become the 1,500 m world record holder – he watched Grishin finish his 1,500 m in a new world record time of 2:08.6. In the next pair, Mikhaylov equalled Grishin's time and they shared Olympic gold. Later that year, he won silver at the Soviet Allround Championships, finishing first on the 1,500 m. Although Mikhaylov remained active as a skater until 1961, he won no more major medals.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
- died July 15, 2008 Tver
Tver
Tver is a city and the administrative center of Tver Oblast, Russia. Population: 403,726 ; 408,903 ;...
, Russia ) was a speed skater
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
who competed for 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....
.
Born in the village of Ulitino in Staritsky District
Staritsky District
Staritsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the 36 in Tver Oblast, Russia....
of Tver Oblast
Tver Oblast
Tver Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Tver. From 1935 to 1990, it was named Kalinin Oblast after Mikhail Kalinin. Population: Tver Oblast is an area of lakes, such as Seliger and Brosno...
, Yuri Mikhaylov took up boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
when he was young and in 1949, he became champion of Kalininsky District
Kalininsky District, Tver Oblast
Kalininsky District, Tver Oblast is an administrative and municipal district , one of the 36 in Tver Oblast, Russia....
of Tver Oblast. At the country's Junior Championships, he then won a bronze medal and it seemed that Mikhaylov had a nice future in boxing ahead of him. Besides liking boxing in itself, Mikhaylov also very much liked the exercises his trainer made him do, which included elements of athletics, bicycle racing, gymnastics, and more. But then his trainer left and Mikhaylov's new trainer forced him to do only boxing exercises. This made Mikhaylov lose interest in boxing.
Mikhaylov then decided to try skating. Originally, he skated only to keep occupied doing something that would exercise his muscles, but he soon fell in love with skating and became obsessed, dreaming about skating and unable to refrain from skating even a single day. But in 1951, he had to join the army. In the army, he was bored and he missed skating, drawing pictures of skates in letters he wrote. After having been demobilised, Mikhaylov, even more obsessed with skating than before, trained furiously and made up for all the skating he had missed while in the army.
He soon started to win medals at regional championships and he made his debut at the Soviet Allround Championships in 1954, skating only his favourite distance (the 1,500 m) in which he finished 4th. Early 1955, during races on the Medeo
Medeo
The Medeu , or Medeo , is an outdoor speed skating and bandy rink. It is located in a mountain valley on the south-eastern outskirts of Almaty, Kazakhstan. Medeu sits 1,691 metres above sea level, making it the highest skating rink in the world...
rink of Alma-Ata
Almaty
Almaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500...
, he finished 2nd on the 1,500 m behind Yevgeny Grishin
Yevgeny Grishin
Yevgeny Romanovich Grishin was a Soviet/Russian speedskater. Grishin trained for the largest part of his speedskating career at CSKA Moscow...
who won the 1,500 m in a new world record time. At the Soviet Allround Championships that year, Mikhaylov finished 6th, while finishing second on the 1,500 m behind Boris Shilkov
Boris Shilkov
Boris Arsenevich Shilkov is a former speed skater.- Short biography :Competing for the Soviet Union, Boris Shilkov lived in Leningrad , where he worked as an engineer...
.
Mikhaylov's best year came in 1956. During races in Davos
Davos
Davos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
, he broke Yevgeny Grishin's 1,500 m world record. At the 1956 Winter Olympics
1956 Winter Olympics
The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. This celebration of the Games was held from 26 January to 5 February 1956. Cortina, which had originally been awarded the 1944 Winter Olympics, beat out...
in Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town and comune in the southern Alps located in Veneto, a region in Northern Italy. Located in the heart of the Dolomites in an alpine valley, it is a popular winter sport resort known for its ski-ranges, scenery, accommodations, shops and après-ski scene...
, he participated in the 500 m, but he fell and did not finish. Two days later was the day of his favourite distance, the 1,500 m and – ten days after Mikhaylov had become the 1,500 m world record holder – he watched Grishin finish his 1,500 m in a new world record time of 2:08.6. In the next pair, Mikhaylov equalled Grishin's time and they shared Olympic gold. Later that year, he won silver at the Soviet Allround Championships, finishing first on the 1,500 m. Although Mikhaylov remained active as a skater until 1961, he won no more major medals.
World records
Over the course of his career, Mikhaylov skated two world records:| Event | Result | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,500 m | 2:09.1 | 20 January 1956 | Davos Eisstadion Davos Vaillant Arena is an arena in Davos, Switzerland. It is primarily used for ice hockey and is the home arena of HC Davos. It holds 7,080 people, of which 3,280 are seated... |
| 1,500 m | 2:08.6 | 30 January 1956 | Misurina Lake Misurina Lake Misurina is the greater natural lake of the Cadore and it is 1,754 m above sea level, fraction of Auronzo di Cadore . The perimeter is 2.6 km long, while the depth is 5 m.... |