Valeriy Borzov

Valeriy Borzov

Borzov (932) during the heats of the 200 m in Munich, 1972
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  Soviet Union
Olympic Games
Gold	1972 Munich	100 m
Gold	1972 Munich	200 m
Silver	1972 Munich	4×100 m relay
Bronze	1976 Montreal	100 m
Bronze	1976 Montreal	4×100 m relay
European Championships
Gold	1969 Athens	100 m
Gold	1971 Helsinki	100 m
Gold	1971 Helsinki	200 m
Gold	1974 Rome	100 m
Silver	1969 Athens	4×100 m relay

Valeriy Pylypovych Borzov (Ukrainian: Валерій Пилипович Борзов, Russian: Валерий Филиппович Борзов, Valeriy Filippovich Borzov; born 20 October 1949) is a Ukrainian former sprint athlete who competed for the Soviet Union. He is a three-time Olympian, a former president of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, and Minister for Youth and Sports of Ukraine.

In 1972 he won both the 100 and 200 metres sprint events for the Soviet Union at the Olympic Games in Munich.

Career

Born in Sambir, Drohobych Oblast, Soviet Union,^[1] Borzov started his track and field career in 1968. He became a household name in the Track and Field circles after having won the sprint-double at the 1971 European Championships in Helsinki. He had already won the 100 m championship in 1969, when he equalled Armin Hary's nine year-old European record of 10.0 seconds.

At the 1972 Munich Olympics, two of the American favorites, Eddie Hart and Rey Robinson, missed the 100 m quarterfinals due to a misunderstanding about the starting time of the heats. Their times in the trials were both 9.9 with Eddie Hart just ahead. After Borzov had won the 100 m sprint with relative ease in a time of 10.14 seconds, the Americans promised they would beat Borzov in the 200 m competition.

However, with all three Americans in the final this time, Borzov won again in a great style. The picture, featuring Borzov winning the 200 m heats at the 1972 Summer Olympics was selected for the Voyager Golden Record and later launched into space aboard two Voyager spacecraft in 1977.^[2] However, the Americans won the 4x100 relay with the Soviets taking second place. Hart ran the anchor leg of that relay receiving the baton four metres in front of Borzov thus denying the great Ukrainian any chance of demonstrating his superiority over his American rival.

Between the 1972 and the 1976 Olympics, Borzov spent more time on his studies and soccer. Still, this did not stop him from winning his third successive 100 m title at the European Championships in 1974. Rumours of a planned assassination attempt and his possible defection attempt surrounded his appearance at the Montreal Olympics. He finished third in the 100 m race, matching his 1972 finals time of 10.14, his fourth Olympic medal. In the 4 x 100 m relays, his team won another bronze.

A persisting injury forced Borzov to abandon his hopes to participate in his third Olympic Games. He ended his career in 1979. About that time, he married Ludmilla Tourischeva, a four-time Olympic champion in gymnastics.

Political career

From 1991 to 1998, Borzov served as the president of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee. He has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 1994. He has also held a Youth and Sports cabinet minister position with the Government of Ukraine from 1991 till 1997.^[3] From 1998 until 2006, he was a member of the Ukrainian parliament.^[3] First for Rukh (1998), then for the faction "Reforms Center" (1998–1999), All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" (1999–2001) and Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united) (from 2001).

Bibliography

Valeriy Borzov (1982). 10 Seconds – The Whole Life (in Russian). Moscow: Fizkultura i sport. 

References

Please, note that even though the referenced Sports Encyclopedia states that he was born in Lviv Oblast that information is inaccurate, because it was not until 1959 when Sambir became part of Lviv Oblast.^[4]

1. ↑ (Russian) Sports Encyclopedia
2. ↑ Voyager Golden Record – Scenes from Earth
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Valeriy Borzov, Sport Reference
4. ↑ (Russian) Drohobych Oblast

Sporting positions
Preceded by Donald Quarrie	Men's 200 m Best Year Performance 1972	Succeeded by Steve Williams

Records
Preceded by Vladislav Sapeya	European Record Holder Men's 100 m 18 August 1968 – 6 September 1970	Succeeded by Gert Metz
Preceded by —	European Record Holder Men's 100 m 31 August 1972 – 14 September 1979	Succeeded by Pietro Mennea
Preceded by Philippe Clerc	European Record Holder Men's 200 m 18 July 1971 – 16 June 1972	Succeeded by Pietro Mennea
Preceded by Pietro Mennea	European Record Holder Men's 200 m 4 September 1972 – 9 September 1979	Succeeded by Pietro Mennea