Viktor Markin
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| Olympic medal record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Athletics | |||
| Gold | 1980 Moscow | 400 metres | |
| Gold | 1980 Moscow | 4x400m relay | |
Viktor Fyodorovich Markin (Russian: Виктор Фёдорович Маркин) (born February 27, 1957) is a former Soviet athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics.
Born in Novosibirsk, Russia (then Soviet Union), Markin started athletics only at age 19. He remained quite unknown until the Moscow Olympic Games.
On April 27, 1980, in Sochi, Markin had run his personal best 46.96. Just before the Games Markin ran 45.34. In the Olympic final, Markin was only fifth on a half distance and in the beginning of the finishing straight line he was still three metres behind of the leader East German Frank Schaffer. But with a very strong finish Markin won with a European record and world season best 44.60 (still a Russian national record in 400 m.). Markin captured his second gold in the 4 × 400 m. relay when, as an anchor, outran the East German Volker Beck.
After a break from sports to complete his studies in medicine, Markin returned at the European Championships in 1982, where he won two bronze medals (400 m. and 4 × 400 m. relay). In the first World Championships in Helsinki Markin won a gold in 4 × 400 m. relay, but decided to retire after hearing the Soviet decision to boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics.
| Olympic champions in men's 400 m |
|---|
| 1896: Tom Burke | 1900: Maxey Long | 1904: Harry Hillman | 1906: Paul Pilgrim | Wyndham Halswelle | 1912: Charles Reidpath | 1920: Bevil Rudd | 1924: Eric Liddell | 1928: Ray Barbuti | 1932: Bill Carr | 1936: Archie Williams | 1948: Arthur Wint | 1952: George Rhoden | 1956: Charlie Jenkins | 1960: Otis Davis | 1964: Michael Larrabee | 1968: Lee Evans | 1972: Vincent Matthews | 1976: Alberto Juantorena | 1980: Viktor Markin | 1984: Alonzo Babers | 1988: Steve Lewis | 1992: Quincy Watts | 1996: Michael Johnson | 2000: Michael Johnson | 2004: Jeremy Wariner |
