Unified Sports Classification System of the USSR

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Unified Sports Classification System of the USSR (Russian: Единая Всесоюзная спортивная классификация) was a document, which provided general Soviet physical education system requirements for athletes. The classification was established in 1935 and was based on separate classifications, which existed for several sports disciplines before. Since 1949 it was revised every four years, the period, which corresponded to the Olympic cycle, to reflect new standards for the physical training. The document contained test standards, principles and conditions, necessary for the conferment of sports ranks and titles, for all sports, cultivated in the USSR.

As of the 1970s, there were following ranks for athletes of the USSR (listed in descending order of value):

Master of Sports of the USSR, Distinguished/Honoured/Merited/Honourable (Russian: заслуженный мастер спорта СССР, abbreviated as "змс"), equates to international champion who has made valuable contributions to the sport
Master of Sports of the USSR, International Class (Russian: мастер спорта СССР международного класса; abbreviated as "мсмк"), equates to international champion
Master of Sports of the USSR (Russian: мастер спорта СССР; abbreviated as "мс"), equates to national champion
Candidate for Master of Sports of the USSR (Russian: кандидат в мастера спорта СССР; abbreviated as "кмс"), equates to nationally ranked player
First-Class Sportsman (Russian: спортсмен 1-го разряда), equates to regional champion
Second-Class Sportsman (Russian: спортсмен 2-го разряда), equates to state champion
Third-Class Sportsman (Russian: спортсмен 3-го разряда), equates to city champion
First-Class Junior Sportsman (Russian: спортсмен 1-го юношеского разряда)
Second-Class Junior Sportsman (Russian: спортсмен 2-го юношеского разряда)
Third-Class Junior Sportsman (Russian: спортсмен 3-го юношеского разряда)

Each of these titles was awarded only for results on the official competitions. Athletes who qualified for the rank were awarded a badge.

This All-Union system existed until the breakup of the USSR in 1991. Meanwhile, some former Soviet republics, for example, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus still maintain similar sports ranks system.

The title of Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR was awarded to foreigners several times. In particular, in 1972, to the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the USSR this title was awarded to the following prominent athletes:^[1]

Maria Gigova^[1]
András Balczó (modern pentathlon, Hungarian Sportsman of the Year in 1966, 1968, 1969)^[1]
Karin Janz^[1]
Li Ho-Jun (1972 Olympic Champion in shooting)^[1]
Teófilo Stevenson^[1]
Khorloo Baianmunkh^[1]
Włodzimierz Lubański^[1]
Nicolae Martinescu (1972 Olympic Champion in amateur wrestling)^[1]
Ondrej Nepela^[1]

There is one foreigner who holds the regular Master of Sports title based on his achievements within Russia, the Dutch field hockey player Mark Sluiter. Sluiter lived, studied and later worked in Moscow for several years in the eighties. He got a sports contract with the Moscovian hockey Club Fili Moscow to stay active within his sport while living abroad. When this club won the Russian national Cup he and his team colleagues received the Master of Sports award. Sluiter currently lives and works in his native country, The Netherlands and still is active as a field hockey player.