Vladimir Salnikov
(Born 1960)
Soviet swimmer. Champion of the XXII Olympiad in Moscow (USSR), 1980. Champion games XXIV Seoul Olympics (South Korea), 1988
Vladimir Salnikov won his main victory in 1988 at the Seoul Olympics. And not only over rivals on the water track. Together with them, Salnikov defeated his sports leadership, which did not believe in him, the scoffers who slandered his training methods, and - not least - defeated himself too.
Salnikov was born in St. Petersburg, which was then called Le-nigrad. The path to big sports began for him with the SKA pool, where a seven-year-old boy was enrolled in a group for those who cannot swim. A year later, his coach Gleb Petrov noticed him, under whose leadership, at the age of 13, Salnikov became a candidate for master. Then, as often happens, chance intervened in his sporting destiny.
Once another coach - Igor Koshkin - asked Petrov to "yield" Salnikov to him as a good sparring partner for his best student Sergei Rusin. Well, and then to three Olympic gold medals, to victories at the world and European championships, to world records, Koshkin was already leading Salnikov.
And in general, Salnikov's sporting fate in some ways, we must agree, slightly resembles the old Soviet film "The Reserve Player" with a simple plot - the athlete who plays the second role turns out to be the best of the best in the end. But what to do if this was exactly the case with Salnikov.
Salnikov is a swimmer-stayer. Its distances are 400 and 1500 meters. In relay races, however, it happened to swim shorter ones - 200 meters. In 1976, the 16-year-old Leningrader took third place in the national championship, and the leadership of the national team ventured to take him to Games XXI Olympics in Montreal.
True, Salnikov's chances were regarded as minimal. The leaders of the national team pinned their main hopes on experienced swimmers Valentin Parinov and Igor Kushpelev. At a distance of 400 meters in freestyle Salnikov, in fact, took 19th place. But at a distance of 1500 meters, he unexpectedly made it to the final - by the way, he was the first Soviet swimmer-stayer to Olympic Games... In the final, he showed the fifth result. American swimmer Brian Goodell became the Olympic champion at this distance with a world and an Olympic record. He also won the 400-meter distance - again with a world and Olympic record.
It is unlikely then that Goodell remembered the young Soviet swimmer - especially since he did not make him any competition. However, the face-to-face and correspondence competition between Goodell and Salnikov soon began, in which one or the other won.
After the Montreal Olympics, Salnikov's successes went up. By 1977, he was already the European champion. In the same year, at a meeting of athletes from the USA and the USSR in Leningrad, he set a world record at a distance of 800 meters. At the 1978 World Cup in West Berlin - new record Europe at a distance of 1500 meters.
The face-to-face rivalry between Salnikov and Goodell at the games of the XXII Olympiad in 1980 seemed very interesting. But, as you know, US athletes did not come to Moscow. Nevertheless, at a distance of 1500 meters, Salnikov set a world and Olympic record - 14 minutes 58.27 seconds. And the Olympic record at a distance of 400 meters - 3 minutes 51.31 seconds.
To the two Olympic gold medals for victories at these distances, a third was added - Vladimir Salnikov participated in the final of the 4,200-meter freestyle relay, where Soviet swimmers also won.
Salnikov prepared very seriously for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Showed great results. In 1981, in Rome, he once again became the European champion - in the same three events for which he received Olympic gold medals. In 1982, at the World Championships in Ecuador, he won at distances of 400 and 1500 meters. In 1983, at the USSR winter championship, he again improved his own records at these distances. These were already the 18th and 19th of the world records set by Salnikov.
However, Salnikov did not go to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The decision of the Soviet leadership to boycott the boycott for many "age" athletes was a tragedy - there were still four years left until the next Olympic Games in Seoul. This meant that many had to say goodbye to the dream of participating in the new Olympics.
The age of a champion swimmer is short. By the Seoul Olympics, Salnikov was supposed to be 28 years old, and, according to the sports leadership, it was not worth counting on his new victories.
This was stated to Salnikov in 1985 by Igor Koshkin, who by that time had become the head coach of the USSR national team. He was probably sincerely convinced of this. The USSR Swimming Federation was of the same opinion.
Then Salnikov did what was least expected of him - he began to train under the guidance of his wife Marina, a specialist in biomedical problems. For some time she worked in the scientific group of sprinters of the national team of track and field athletes of the USSR, and then with the national swimming team of the country. When the time came, Marina became both a trainer, a doctor, and a masseur for her husband.
It was then that the time came for ridicule and scoffing, all this Salnikov had to experience to the fullest. And, of course, he knew that old rivals no longer took him into account.
It's time to go to Seoul, to the games of the XIV Olympiad. The decision to participate in them or not, the leadership of the Olympic team, taking into account his previous merits, was left to Salnikov himself. Many hoped that he would change his mind and go to Seoul as a tourist.
And he decided to perform - at his signature distance of 1500 meters freestyle.
The preliminary swim took place on September 24, 1988. What happened during it, and then in the final swim, of course, no one could tell better than Vladimir Salnikov himself:
“I“ caught ”the shot, I didn’t sit on the pedestal. Fully controlled the course of the swim. Worked a kilometer. Along the way, I nuanced the stroke technique, since my well-being allowed this too. I was so busy with myself that several "hundreds" passed without control on the scoreboard. When I woke up and looked up, I did not believe it: I was swimming too fast. I need to slow down, otherwise I will not have time to regain strength by the final. It worked badly, which has never happened before in my practice: I could not slow down in any way!
And here is the finish line. 15 minutes 07.83 seconds! Faster than the preliminary heat of the Games-80.
It seems that my result, both for the rivals and for the coaches, thundered with a thunder that was not of local importance. I admit that they were "stunned", not knowing at what limit I forced myself to perform just like that in the preliminary swim. As soon as I got out of the water, a wave of congratulations surged. Athletes, coaches, fans, my yesterday's and today's rivals - all wished for success. Of course, it was nice, but I had to urgently force myself to squeeze into an anti-emotional corset. There was too much at stake. Almost all my sporting destiny is 20 years devoted to swimming. Back in Moscow, I decided: the Olympic start in Seoul will be the last in my biography of an active athlete. I really wanted to leave with dignity, and in those minutes, 36 hours before the final, I prepared myself for the fight.
Our exit was announced. The noise is incredible. But I didn't hear any applause or anything else. The brain blocked everything that could distract.
So, my old friend Yugoslav Petrich is sailing along the 1st track; on the 2nd - young Pole Podkoshelny; on the 3rd - Pfeiffer; on the 4th - Tsetlinski; 5th - I; 6th - Dassler; on the 7th - Henkel; on the 8th - the Englishman Boyt. Feel the pulse rise. I try my best to keep calm.
Saves the start. I feel the pleasant freshness of the water. The first thought is just not to become frequent, to keep the clarity of perception of what is happening. The main tasks are the optimal tactics of passing the distance, and the most economical technique so that there is enough strength for the entire one and a half kilometers, absolute control, everything that has been repeatedly practiced in training. And I didn't think about victory. I didn't even think about which place to borrow. I knew that I would give all my strength, all of myself in this swim, the decisive swim of my whole life.
As expected, Cetlinski went ahead from the very first meters of the distance. I let him go half a body forward, keeping a short distance so I can react immediately if he makes a dash. Dassler fell a little behind.
Behind 500 meters of distance. I feel the speed. I check myself on the electronic scoreboard, there are no discrepancies. Even the turns - my Achilles heel - are still working out right.
After 600 meters I start to "get" Matt Zetlinski. He resists, does not want to give up positions. I understand him. How many times have been in similar situations, and do not remember. It is psychologically difficult to deal with them. Some bare wires are closed in the brain, and you, breaking tactics and technique, cut yourself to death. And you completely forget what else to swim and swim! And in the end you "kill" yourself. But it is important for me to break away from the pursuers as far as possible. How many meters of this race Matt can withstand, I do not know.
700 meters. I win quite a bit. Really overestimated yourself? It's hard for me. I know that Zetlinski is a hundred times heavier. It breaks down and slowly starts to lag behind.
After 900 meters I continue to increase my speed and see how the American is giving up. The advantage case is just the beginning. Lost sight of Pfeiffer. I can't hear Dassler. He is somewhere behind, but he has his own plan. I'm starting to feel tired. Now - increased attention to technology. There comes a moment when more relaxation is needed: either in the stroke itself, or in carrying the arms.
Stefan Pfeiffer picks up Zetlinski. The pursuit of me did not go unnoticed for Matt, and this was to be expected.
1000 meters. The nerves of the right hand seem to be exposed. I feel every cell. This is the first call to the fact that terrible fatigue will soon collapse. We must hurry. The gap of two hulls from Pfeiffer is, of course, not bad, but will it be enough? If at the finish line Stefan or Uwe Dassler are in close proximity, then my chances will be zero. These guys have an order of magnitude higher speed reserve, and they, of course, will use it without hesitation. The main thing is not to give them that chance.
1300 meters. Started. They tied a weight to the legs and arms. This is no longer swimming - this is plowing virgin lands. The tipping point is coming soon. If only the body did not fail. I'm starting to lose cornering. Fatigue came crashing down like a southern night - instantly it gets dark. I repeat to myself: technique, technique, technique. I change the trajectory of carrying the arms and their movement in the water. I emphasize the load on one muscle group, then on another. It helps. The weight of the kettlebells decreases. It’s a pity that it’s not for long. I don't hear or see anything around - neither the stands, nor the pursuers. Although I remember that Pfeiffer is somewhere nearby. I wonder where Dassler is?
Somewhere in the middle of the penultimate 50-meter straight, I realized that I was dying. There was not even indifference, but dullness. I had no muscles. None. The arms and legs worked on their own. But if this second they acted somehow, then the next they could stop working. What to do?
I didn’t think of anything else, how he dug his teeth into his lower lip. I did not feel pain. But I felt a little better.
The last 50 meters. I did not see, but with some sixth sense I felt Stefan Pfeiffer approaching inexorably and how Uwe Dassler cut in his famous jerk, rushing to the finish line with a torpedo. I reassured myself: if I do not die, then they will not catch up with me. Today is my day! I don’t remember the moment when I poked this very wall. But I remembered very well that I had to cling to it in order not to go to the bottom. What happened after?
Then everything is like a fog. Although with his brain, he probably understood that he had won. I couldn't even feel my hands when I tried to throw them up. Idiotic state: I raise my hands to greet the audience, but I don't feel them, it seems that they are hanging with whips.
Pfeiffer swam, Says something, shaking his head. It's hard to understand. And suddenly it dawns on me that Stefan is trying to explain his amazement - how did all this happen? Only now the noise of the stands and the chanting: “Salnikov! Salnikov! Salnikov! "
I'm starting to feel feelings. I cannot say that they are all pure and immaculate. Even a wave of such slight gloating overwhelmed me. I suddenly remembered how they "buried" me. I wonder what my "well-wishers" are going through now? I won my most important swim, not 1500 meters long, but in my entire sporting life. And I was happy!
Two hours after the finale, an event occurred that, in my understanding, is worth all the gold in the world. When I entered the Olympic dining room, everyone who was in it - coaches, athletes - rose from the tables and applauded. It is this episode of my victorious Olympic day that comes to mind first of all. I hope there is no need to explain why? "
On this day, Vladimir Salnikov became a four-time Olympic champion. But even this was not the main thing ...
Very rare swimmers have managed to become champions at two Olympics in a row. And Salnikov did it, missing one Olympics - he repeated his success not after four, but after eight years. Nobody else has managed to do this in the history of the Olympic Games.
After the triumph in Seoul, Vladimir Salnikov, as he had promised himself, left big sport... For some time he coached the national swimming team of the country. Over the years, he was a member of the USSR Olympic Committee, a member of the Athletes' Commission International Federation swimming, was engaged in commercial projects.
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159 countries. 8391 athletes (2194 women). 25 kinds of sports. Leaders in the unofficial team event: 1. USSR (55-31-46); 2. GDR (37-35-30); 3. USA (36-31-27)
The mascot of the Seoul Olympic Games is a cute tiger in a bowler hat, Hodori. A competition was announced and his name was chosen by the whole world, the inhabitants of the country offered 2295 options.
At these Games, the strongest athletes of the USSR, the USA, the GDR, Japan and other countries finally took to the start again. However, the boycott could not be completely avoided.
Once again, the Games were boycotted, this time by the NOCs of Cuba, DPRK, Ethiopia, Nicaragua and some other countries. Unfortunately, this happened because these Games were also preceded by political “games”. Some sports figures believed that the situation on the Korean Peninsula was too unstable, others, and most importantly the IOC, insisted that Olympic competition passed only on the Korean peninsula - since Seoul was elected - and nowhere else ... As expected, the opinion of the IOC won, which dealt with this problem in detail and studied it well: to hold the Games in Korea. There was a lot of talk about Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea holding the competition together. However, even here the politicians failed to come to an agreement. The DPRK, in response to the IOC's refusal to host the Olympics on the territory of both Korean states, called on the allies in the socialist bloc to boycott the Games in Seoul. Cuba, Ethiopia, the DPRK itself and several other countries responded to the call of the North Korean comrades.
The preparation and holding of the Seoul Olympic Games showed that the International Olympic Committee was right. According to many parameters - the number of participating countries, athletes, coaches, officials and media representatives - over 20 thousand people, the awarded awards - 237 sets of medals, the number of the security service - more than 120 thousand people, and, finally, according to the number of TV viewers, over 3 billion people in 139 countries who watched the competition, the Games in Seoul were record-breaking.
At the opening ceremony of the Olympics, the torch with the Olympic flame was brought into the stadium by 76-year-old Sohn Kee-chung, winner of the Olympic marathon in 1936. Then he was forced to perform using a Japanese name, so Korea was occupied by Japan. In 1936, he competed as the Japanese athlete Kitai Son.
The program of the Olympics was once again expanded - tennis and table tennis, 10 thousand meters running for women, women's sprint in cycling and 11 more new disciplines.
For the first time, tennis was introduced at the Olympic Games in 1896. Tennis players played consistently at the Olympics until 1924. However, after 1924, the conflict between professional and amateur sports prevented the strongest players from competing at the games until 1988. Only the Seoul Olympics accepted tennis players into the Olympic family again.
Steffi Graf beat Gabriella Sabatini in the women's final, and Miloslav Mechir became the men's champion, leaving Boris Becker himself with silver.
Steffi Graf is a German athlete, one of the most titled tennis players in the world. The first coach was her father, Peter Graf, the head of a small tennis club. Later she began to train with the well-known Czechoslovak tennis player P. Folded. In addition, she was engaged in general physical training and basketball. In 1986, the seventeen-year-old athlete became the best athlete in Germany. In 1987 she won the US Championship, beating the recognized favorites Martina Navratilova and K. Evert. In 1988 she won the Wimbledon tournament, she became the second German athlete to win this prestigious tournament. In 1988, she won the US Open, thus earning her way to the Grand Slam club.
The combined team of the Soviet Union performed with great success in Seoul. She won the team competition by a wide margin, winning 18 more gold medals than its closest rival, the GDR national team.
Soviet athletes Elena Shushunova and Vladimir Artyomov confirmed the title of the strongest gymnasts on the planet. They were supported by their teammates - 10 out of 14 gold medals went to our athletes. Three gold medals were received by the athlete from the Romanian national team Daniela Silivash (floor exercise, beam and parallel bars). This achievement once again highlighted the tremendous success of the Romanian gymnastics school.
Our athletes also looked very good in Seoul - 10 top awards. The racers on the cycle track, volleyball players, wrestlers, rowers on kayaks and canoes, men's handball and basketball teams won.
After a 16-year break, Soviet basketball players again climbed to the highest step of the podium. In the final of the basketball tournament, the USSR national team beat the Yugoslavian team with an advantage of 13 points and took first place.
After a 32-year break, gold medals in football went to the USSR national team, which won the Brazilian team 2: 1 in the final. The goals were scored by Igor Dobrovolsky and Yuri Savichev.
Rhythmic gymnastics made its debut at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, but the world's strongest athletes from the USSR and Bulgaria did not participate in them. In Seoul, they took to the platform, and 18-year-old student from Minsk Marina Lobach won the gold medal of the champion.
Vladimir Salnikov achieved the rarest success for swimmers. He again became the champion, like eight years ago in Moscow. But they didn’t want to take Salnikov to the Games. Salnikov's desire to try to compete at the 88 Olympics in Seoul was not to everyone's liking. In 1985, Koshkin, who became the head coach of the national team, said to the swimmer: - You and I have done everything. How to train further, I don’t know. It is hardly worth continuing. He was sincerely convinced that it was time for Vladimir to finish swimming. And, an honest man, he did not hide his opinion. This is probably why, at a meeting of the Presidium of the Swimming Federation, Koshkin said that "Salnikov is exhausted." Vladimir's new coach was his wife Marina, a highly qualified specialist in biomedical problems. She began her practical activity in the scientific group of sprinters of the country's track and field athletics team, then worked for several years in Koshkin's coaching team. Marina became for her husband both a trainer, and a doctor, and a masseur, even to some extent a manager ... Tubs of mud poured onto Salnikov. "How? - were indignant. - Is he preparing under the guidance of his wife? This is nonsense, it's not supposed to be! " But they did not give up, and life has proved them right.
Speaking of swimmers, one cannot fail to note the success of the athlete from the GDR Christina Otto.She received 6 gold medals in swimming and became one of the heroes of the Olympics. Her achievement is a kind of record for women's Olympic sports and an absolute record for the Games in Seoul for the won gold medals.
American swimmer Mat Biondi was just one gold medal behind K. Otto. Having received 5 Olympic gold medals, he came out as a leader at the start of the next 100 m butterfly distance. However, he failed to get his 6th gold. The sensation was the victory at this distance of the athlete from Suriname Anthony Nesty. For this feat, the Surinamese government awarded its compatriot with the highest Order of the Yellow Star. And Mat Biondi added silver and bronze to his 5 gold medals.
American Janet Evans won three gold medals in swimming. Janet is arguably the most remarkable female long distance swimmer in the history of the sport. She first drew attention to herself at the Goodwill Games in 1986, and in 1988 at the Olympics she performed as the holder of world records at distances of 400 m, 800 m and 1500 m. And she did not disappoint the fans, improving her own world record by winning at a distance of 400 m.And in addition, she received gold medals at 800 m and 400 m.At her second Olympics in 1992, Janet successfully defended her Olympic title at a distance of 800 m, but for the first time since 1986 she finished second after Dagmar Hayes (Germany) at a distance of 400 m.
Between 1986 and 1995, Janet Evans won 25 of 27 international competitions at a distance of 400 m and 22 of 23 at a distance of 800 m.Her records, set back in 1988-89 at distances of 400, 800 and 1500 m, remained unbeaten until 1999. Evans has completed her Olympic performances in 1996 in Atlanta, losing the 800m freestyle competition in the only event she competed in in Atlanta.
The doping scandals at the Seoul Games were massive. An unpleasant sensation was the victory, and then ... the debunking of the Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson. He outright beat all his competitors in the 100 meter race. But when it came to drug control ... the medal had to be returned!
Let's talk about this event in more detail. On September 24, 1988, at the Seoul Olympic Stadium, Ben Johnson, a 26-year-old native of Jamaica with a Canadian passport, stuns the world with a 9.79 sec. To the title of world champion, he adds the title of Olympic winner and world record holder.
Two days later, the same sports world is overwhelmed by another piece of news: Johnson caught doping, deprived Olympic gold, and at the same time two of its world records. In a matter of weeks, everyone turns away from the dark-skinned "Mister Doping". Children of neighbors killed his beloved cat, the Conservative government of Canada Brian Mulroney began to seriously consider the issue of deporting the ex-champion to Jamaica and revoking his citizenship. Two years later, the period of his disqualification expired. But the persecution of the "vile deceiver" continued. It was led by Prince de Merode, the IOC's chief anti-doping fighter. He has vowed to red-handed the runner at the Barcelona Olympics. It didn't work out.
Johnson was "got" on January 17, 1993 at the Toronto Athletics Tournament. In a sample of his urine, they found a 16-fold excess of the prohibited anabolic - testosterone. And this time, the leadership of the International Athletics Federation disqualified the Canadian for life.
Here are some more examples. Bulgarian athletes Mitko Grablev (category up to 56 kg) and Angel Genchev (category up to 67.5 kg) won gold medals in weightlifting competitions on September 19 and 21, 1988, respectively. On September 23, both were stripped of their medals and suspended for two years after their doping tests tested positive for furosemide.
On September 24, the leadership of the Bulgarian weightlifting team withdrew athletes who had not yet performed from the competition, and the team of Bulgarian weightlifters left Seoul.
On September 22, Hungarian weightlifter Kalman Cengery finished fourth in the 75 kg category. On September 25 in Seoul, he was caught doping and disqualified for using testosterone. On September 26, another Hungarian weightlifter, Andro Shanyi, won silver in the under 100 kg category, but on September 28 he returned the medal, as he was convicted of using stanozolol. On September 29, the entire Hungarian weightlifting team withdrew from the competition.
Athletes from the GDR in Seoul performed very successfully, ahead of the US team. According to experts, in athletics, rowing and canoeing, as well as swimming, the athletes of the GDR had to win another 6-8 medals. A number of experts associate this disruption with the fact that the athletes of the GDR were forced to violate the system of pharmacological support for training, fearing doping control, which was carried out at the Games in Seoul much more efficiently than at all previous competitions.
The doping problem at the Seoul Games has come to the fore among the problems of modern Olympic sports.
By all accounts, the Seoul Olympics were not very successful for the US Olympians. However, there was an athlete on the US Olympic team who was unanimously recognized as a hero of the Seoul Games. This athlete was Florence Griffith-Joyner.
Flo-Joe (as they called the runner) is one of eleven children in the family of an electrician and a teacher. Chartered psychologist Florence Griffith-Joyner was for the time being considered just a good sprinter. However, in the 1988 Olympic season, truly amazing metamorphoses began to occur to her. At the US Championships in Indianapolis, where it was selected for the Olympic Games in Seoul, Griffith-Joyner set a world record of 10.49 seconds in the quarterfinal 100m race. She improved the previous record of compatriot Evelyn Ashford by 0.3 seconds - in the sprint, this is just a huge leap.
In Indianapolis, Flo-Jo appeared in front of everyone for the first time in a shocking outfit - a purple jumpsuit that covers only one right leg. So, along with a phenomenal career in sports, her career as an extravagant supermodel began. The magazines "People", "Life", "Vogue" tore up the phone of Florence's personal photographer. Painted in the colors of the national flag, 11-centimeter gold-plated nails, gorgeous makeup, streamlined "aerospace" suits, a white-toothed smile, a cascade of flowing black hair, which the runner always dismissed before a run - all this made Flo-Jo a favorite subject of photographers and a trendsetter of sports fashion.
At the Seoul Olympics, Griffith-Joyner won three gold medals in the 100 and 200 meters, in the 4x100 meters relay.There she also broke the world record in the 200 meter race (21.34 seconds), improving the record of German Marita Koch by 0, 37 sec.
Threefold Olympic champion in athletics, Olga Bryzgina from Luhansk is the only Soviet athlete who managed to overtake Florence Griffith-Joyner. It happened just at the Olympic Games in Seoul, during the final race in the 4x400 meters relay at the Olympic Games in Seoul (then the USSR team defeated the Americans). “In Seoul, we sincerely admired the talent of the American star Florence Griffith-Joyner,” Olga Bryzgina recalled. “We wondered where she got so much strength, is it possible? Griffith-Joyner was not going to participate in the 4x400 meters relay at first. I then, there was something to be scared, my soul went right into my heels. After all, I had to compete with an experienced American woman on the most important final part of the distance. "
Five minutes before the start, Florence appeared in front of the public - so extravagant, with long six-inch nails, in a bright tight-fitting overalls ... Soviet athletes looked quite modest against her background.
The Americans, I must say, have always arranged a real show from their entrance to the start. People crowded around Florence, all the reporters circled only beside her ...
The world records set by Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988 seemed so incredible and fantastic that many suspected she was using anabolic steroids. Repeated doping tests of the runners have denied these speculations. Nevertheless, many experts, when mentioning the name of Florence, said something like this: "You can talk as much as you like about the talent of an athlete, but her rapid progress is incredible. And her muscular development before the Olympics in Seoul is above all human norms."
"I have never used and do not recommend anyone to use doping. My results and very developed muscles are the result of persistent special training under the guidance of my husband," - always affirmed in response to the offensive hints of Florence Griffith-Joyner. However, when the International Olympic Committee launched an active anti-doping campaign after the incident with Ben Johnson (who was disqualified at the Seoul Olympics) and announced a sharp increase in doping tests, Florence Griffith-Joyner suddenly announced her retirement. Meanwhile, her husband Al Joyner (winner of the "gold" of the 84 Olympics in Los Angeles in the triple jump) remained in the sport and got caught doping ...
Her first Olympics was in 1984 in Los Angeles, where she became a silver medalist in the 200 m distance.In 1987, at the World Championships in Rome, she came second in the 200 m. After a successful performance in 1988 in Seoul, she decided to retire from sports.
After leaving the treadmill, Griffith-Joyner joined the American Presidential Council of Physical Education and Sports. In addition, she took up clothing modeling, worked with children and wrote books about sports. On the eve of the Atlanta Olympics, Florence shocked everyone with the message that she intends to return to athletics... But shortly before the Games, she suffered a heart attack on the plane while flying to a charity night. Then Florence was kept in the hospital for a day. The second attack, on September 21, 1998, ended with the death of the athlete at the age of 39.
In the list of world athletics records, there are many achievements "with a beard". But Flo's records are considered one of the most mystical and incredible results that a female body is capable of. Since the establishment of world records by Florence Griffith-Joyner, two generations of outstanding runners have changed, but these achievements have not been submitted to anyone. These records seem immortal to a person far from sports.
There are no uninteresting competitions at the Olympic Games. In each of the sports, in any of the program numbers, there are events that will leave no one indifferent. Nevertheless, the athletics tournament was and remains the main thing at the Games. This is a kind of pivot around which the life of the Olympics goes. US track and field athletes were ahead of everyone in the number of won gold medals - 13. Soviet athletes received 10 awards.
An outstanding American athlete, hero of the last Olympics, Carl Lewis was the best in the 100 m race and in the long jump, he was awarded a silver medal for winning the 200 m distance. In the 4x100 m relay, the USSR team won the gold.
At these Games, a kind of record was registered in the women's Olympic sports: Swedish fencer Kerstin Palm took part in Olympic tournament the seventh time since 1964.
But the most amazing achievement of Seoul - on the account of the cyclist from the GDR Christa Luding-Rothenburger, who won silver in the women's sprint. The uniqueness of this silver medal lies in the fact that Christa became the first athlete in history to win medals in one year at both the Winter and Summer Olympics! At the 1988 Olympic Calgary, she won the gold medal in speed skating.
One of the worst losers of the Seoul Olympics was the American boxer Roy Jones. On October 2, 1988, the 19-year-old boxer met in the final bout in the 71 kg category with the South Korean boxer Park Si Hoon. In the fight, Jones had a clear advantage and even knocked down his opponent. By the end of the fight, the strike ratio reached 86:32 in favor of the American. Despite this, the judges, by three votes to two, awarded the victory to the Korean athlete. During the announcement of the decision of the judges, the beaten winner barely kept himself upright. The American delegation lodged a protest, but the decision of the judges was not changed.
Instead of a gold medal, Roy Jones received the Val Barker Trophy and the title of Outstanding Boxer at the Seoul Games from the International Amateur Boxing Association. This unofficial prize is awarded at every Olympics, but until 1988 it was usually awarded to the Olympic champion. In November 1988, three judges from Uganda, Uruguay and Morocco, who gave the victory to the Korean, were disqualified for two years for biased refereeing. In 1996, it was proven that these arbitrators received bribes from members of the Korean delegation.
Since the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, the scoring rules for boxing have changed. If earlier the judges recorded the marks on sheets of paper that were given to the referee at the end of the fight, now they press the computer button immediately after the blow that the boxer inflicted. A point is entered into the computer system if three out of five judges have pressed the button. On September 9, 1997 in Lausanne, Switzerland, Roy Jones was awarded the Silver Olympic Order in recognition of his services to Olympic movement... The decision to award medals was never revised.
The national team of the Soviet Union won a convincing victory in Seoul (55 gold, 31 silver and 46 bronze medals).
The athletes of the GDR, for the second time (for the first time at the 1976 Games), managed to get ahead of the US team: 636 points and 102 medals - 37 gold, 35 silver, 30 bronze. They achieved the greatest success in swimming (we have already talked about this) - 11 gold medals, in rowing - 8, in athletics - 6.
As for the US Olympians, the Seoul Olympics were not very successful for them. They were only in third place with 632 points 92 medals - 36 gold, 31 silver, 25 bronze. They performed most successfully in athletics - 13 gold medals, and swimming - 8 gold medals. They also performed successfully in boxing, having managed to win in three weight categories. In diving, freestyle wrestling, tennis, rowing and canoeing, American athletes received two gold medals. The most successful in the US team was M. Biondi (we have already spoken about this), who won 5 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medals.
The sensation of the Olympics was the performance of the hosts of the Olympics, the athletes of the Republic of Korea, who received 12 gold medals - the 4th result, and outstripped the teams of Germany, Great Britain, China, Bulgaria, Hungary. The Olympians of the Republic of Korea managed to win 3 gold medals in archery, 2 in judo, boxing and table tennis, 1 each - in freestyle and classical wrestling.
The famous Soviet swimmer Vladimir Salnikov celebrates his 50th birthday on Friday.
Vladimir Valerievich Salnikov was born on May 21, 1960 in Leningrad. His father, Valery Vladimirovich, was a captain-mentor on timber carriers. Mother - Valentina Mikhailovna - worked as a design engineer at the Leningrad association "Krasnaya Zarya".
At the age of seven, Vladimir was enrolled in the pool of the Army Sports Club (SKA) in the subscription group for beginners. Here his coach Gleb Petrov noticed him and began to study with him. Under his leadership, Salnikov received the title of candidate for master of sports. At the USSR championship, the young athlete took third place, and in 1976 he was already in the national team at the Montreal Olympics.
The leaders of the national team at that time did not pin great hopes on the 16-year-old boy, who unexpectedly made it to the final and was the first of the long distance swimmers to achieve such results at such a high level.
In 1977, at the European Championships in the Swedish city of Jönköping, Salnikov became a prize-winner, and in the fall of the same year, at a meeting between athletes of the USSR and the USA in Leningrad, he set a world record at a distance of 800 meters. Having lost the palm several times to the American athlete Brian Goodell, the Russian swimmer promised himself to win against a strong opponent.
They met again at the 1978 World Championships in West Berlin. Here a young swimmer in the 1,500-meter distance set a new European record, and Goodell this time performed in the relay. On the XXII Olympic In the games, Vladimir was ready to fight Goodell, but the Americans did not come to Moscow. This circumstance did not prevent the athlete from swimming a distance of 1500 meters in a record 14.58.27 minutes, which made him a hero of the Olympics. Salnikov became the first swimmer in the history of sports to overcome 1,500 meters in less than 15 minutes.
In August 1982, the swimmer again becomes the champion at the world championship in Guayaquil (Ecuador), finishing first at distances of 400 and 1500 meters.
In February 1983, at the USSR Championship, he again sets world records at distances of 400 and 1500 meters.
Due to the boycott, the athlete was forced to miss the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. After that, he could only participate in the alternative competition "Friendship-84", where the swimmer again showed excellent results. After that, at a meeting of the Presidium of the Swimming Federation, it was decided that Salnikov's sports career should end, and he would not go to Seoul for the 1988 Olympics. The athlete himself believed that he had even greater reserves.
He was supported by his wife Marina, who was considered an excellent specialist in biomedical problems. Master of Sports of the USSR in athletics, former USSR champion in the 200-meter sprint, she had experience working with the USSR national athletics team, and later with the national swimming team as a biochemist. She became her husband a trainer, doctor and massage therapist.
In addition, his father-in-law played an important role in the training of Salnikov, who at that time was the head of the Olympic Training Center, which included one of the strongest biophysical laboratories specializing in high-performance sports at Vladimir's services.
In 1986, the first success of the joint work came - a world record at the first Goodwill Games. The last two seasons before the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Salnikov fell into a streak of illness and other setbacks, winning practically nothing at major international competitions, although he remained invincible in the USSR. However, at the Seoul Olympics, the 28-year-old swimmer performed the best in the world in 1988, beating his young strong rivals.
During his sports career, Vladimir Salnikov covered a distance equal to the length of the equator. From 1977 to 1986, he did not lose a single start in the world at a distance of 1500 meters freestyle. The world record set by the athlete in 1983 lasted eight years, and the European record from 1983 to 2000. Another highest achievement - the USSR record at a distance of 1,500 meters in freestyle, set by Salnikov in 1983, has not been broken to this day. Vladimir Salnikov became a four-time world champion, five-time European champion.
For outstanding sports achivments Vladimir Salnikov was awarded the Orders of Lenin (1985), the October Revolution (1988), and the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1980). In 1980 he was awarded a special prize of the International Swimming Federation (FINA), in 1983 he was included in the International Swimming Gallery of Fame (Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA), in 1986 he was awarded the International Gagarin Prize. In 1979, 1980 and 1983, according to polls of the American magazine "Swimming World", he was recognized as the best swimmer in the world. In 2001, the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lowderdale (Florida, USA) was included in the list of the best swimmers of the 20th century.
In 1982 Salnikov graduated from the State Central Order of Lenin Institute physical culture, in 1988 - graduate school, worked as a trainer for a group of coaches and athletes of the Sports Committee of the Ministry of Defense (1982-1986), then coached the CSKA swimming team (1986-1988).
After the triumph in Seoul, Salnikov was approved as the head coach of the USSR national swimming team (1989-1990), but soon left this position.
In 1989-1991 Salnikov was vice-president of the USSR Swimming Federation, in 1991-2001 - deputy general director of MIP "Olymp". He was a member of the USSR Olympic Committee (1984-1990), a member of the Athletes' Commission of the International Swimming Federation (FINA) (1991-2000).
Since 1996, he became an honorary member of the Russian Golf Association, was engaged in business: he was the general representative of Speedo in Russia, led the creation of the first Moscow water park.
In November 2009, Vladimir Salnikov was appointed Acting President All-Russian Federation Swimming (WFTU), in February 2010 was elected President of the WFTU.
Vladimir Salnikov has a son, Vladimir, born in 1988.
Salnikov is fond of tennis, golf, alpine skiing, windsurfing, snorkeling.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources
