Nikolai Andrianov
Andrianov c. 1974
Personal information
Full nameNikolai Yefimovich Andrianov
Country represented Soviet Union
Born14 October 1952
Vladimir, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Died21 March 2011(2011-03-21) (aged 58)
Vladimir, Russian Federation
Height166 cm (5 ft 5 in)[1]
Weight60 kg (132 lb)
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
Head coach(es)Nikolai Tolkachev
Medal record
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place1972 MunichFloor exercise
Gold medal – first place1976 MontrealAll-around
Gold medal – first place1976 MontrealFloor exercise
Gold medal – first place1976 MontrealRings
Gold medal – first place1976 MontrealVault
Gold medal – first place1980 MoscowTeam competition
Gold medal – first place1980 MoscowVault
Silver medal – second place1972 MunichTeam competition
Silver medal – second place1976 MontrealTeam competition
Silver medal – second place1976 MontrealParallel bars
Silver medal – second place1980 MoscowAll-around
Silver medal – second place1980 MoscowFloor exercise
Bronze medal – third place1972 MunichVault
Bronze medal – third place1976 MontrealPommel horse
Bronze medal – third place1980 MoscowHorizontal bar
World Championships
Gold medal – first place1974 VarnaStill rings
Gold medal – first place1978 StrasbourgStill rings
Gold medal – first place1978 StrasbourgAll-around
Gold medal – first place1979 Ft. WorthTeam competition
Silver medal – second place1974 VarnaTeam competition
Silver medal – second place1974 VarnaAll-around
Silver medal – second place1974 VarnaPommel horse
Silver medal – second place1974 VarnaVault
Silver medal – second place1974 VarnaParallel bars
Silver medal – second place1978 StrasbourgTeam competition
Silver medal – second place1978 StrasbourgVault
Silver medal – second place1978 StrasbourgParallel bars
Silver medal – second place1979 Ft. WorthVault
European Championships
Gold medal – first place1971 MadridPommel horse
Gold medal – first place1971 MadridVault
Gold medal – first place1973 GrenobleFloor exercise
Gold medal – first place1973 GrenobleVault
Gold medal – first place1975 BernAll-around
Gold medal – first place1975 BernFloor exercise
Gold medal – first place1975 BernVault
Gold medal – first place1975 BernParallel bars
Gold medal – first place1975 BernHorizontal bar
Silver medal – second place1971 MadridStill rings
Silver medal – second place1971 MadridParallel bars
Silver medal – second place1973 GrenobleAll-around
Silver medal – second place1973 GrenobleStill rings
Silver medal – second place1973 GrenobleParallel bars
Silver medal – second place1975 BernPommel horse
Bronze medal – third place1971 MadridAll-around
Bronze medal – third place1971 MadridFloor exercise

Nikolai Yefimovich Andrianov (Russian: Никола́й Ефи́мович Андриа́нов; 14 October 1952 – 21 March 2011)[2] was a Soviet and Russian gymnast.

He held the record for men for the most Olympic medals at 15 (7 gold medals, 5 silver medals, 3 bronze medals) until Michael Phelps surpassed him at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Andrianov is the third athlete (male or female) in cumulative Olympic medals after Phelps's 28 and Larisa Latynina's 18. Andrianov won the most medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics with 6 individual medals and one team medal. Within the sport of Men's Artistic Gymnastics, he also holds the men's record for most individual Olympic medals (12) and shares the male record for most individual Olympic gold medals in gymnastics (6) with Boris Shakhlin and Dmitry Bilozerchev (the latter of which only if you count the 1984 Alternate Olympics). In many other rankings among all-time medal winners at the Olympic, World, and European levels, he ranks very high (for example, he is second only to Vitaly Scherbo in total individual medal counts at either the gold level or any level at the combined Olympic and World levels as well as at the combined Olympic, World, and European levels), easily making him one of the most decorated gymnasts of all time.

Early life and Olympic career

Andrianov entered the Children and Youth Sports School of the Burevestnik sports society in Vladimir at age 11. His first international success came in 1971 at the European Championships in Madrid, where he won two gold medals. Between 1971 and 1980 he won many international gymnastics competitions, including the Olympic Games, world championships and European championships.[1]

Andrianov's first Olympic medal was a gold in the 1972 floor competition. He dominated the 1976 gymnastics competition, winning four golds, including the all-around, two silvers, and a bronze.[3] These medals included golds in the floor exercises, rings, and vault, as well as a prized gold in the 1976 all-around. His record of four gymnastic golds at a single games stood until Vitaly Scherbo won six other medals in 1992.[4]

Andrianov took the Olympic Oath for athletes at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. In the gymnastics competition, he won two more golds, two silvers, and a bronze.[3] Andrianov's golds in that Olympics were in the vault and team competition, his silvers were in the all-around and floor exercises, and his bronze medal was in the horizontal bar.[5] He retired shortly after that year's Olympics.[3]

Later life

Andrianov married another famous Soviet gymnast, two-time Olympic champion Lyubov Burda. Together they worked as children's gymnastics coaches, with Andrianov being the head coach of the Soviet national men's junior team in 1981–1992. In 1990–1992 he also coached the Soviet senior gymnastics team, and in 1990–1993 headed the Soviet and later the Russian Gymnastics Federation.[1]

In 2001, Andrianov was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Between 1994 and 2002 he coached the Japan Olympic gymnastics team, on the invitation of his former rival, Mitsuo Tsukahara. Andrianov coached Tsukahara's son, Naoya Tsukahara, and both father and son credit him with raising Naoya's skills and confidence to equip him to compete at the international level.[6] In 2002 he became the director of gymnastics at the N.G. Tolkachyov Specialized Children and Youth sports school in Vladimir, where he first began the sport as a youth.[1]

Illness and death

In his final years, Andrianov developed the degenerative neurological disorder multiple system atrophy and in his final months was unable to move his arms or legs or talk.[7] Andrianov died on 21 March 2011 at the age of 58,[8] in his hometown of Vladimir.[9] Russia's national gymnastic team coach, Alexander Alexandrov, called the death "tragic", but stated that he had been ill for a long time.[9]

Achievements (non-Olympic)

Year Event AA Team FX PH RG VT PB HB
1971European Championships3rd3rd1st2nd1st2nd
USSR Championships1st
1972USSR Championships1st1st2nd2nd2nd2nd1st
USSR Cup1st
1973European Championships2nd1st2nd1st2nd
University Games1st1st1st1st1st
USSR Championships1st
1974World Championships2nd2nd2nd1st2nd2nd
USSR Championships1st1st1st3rd1st
USSR Cup1st
1975World Cup1st2nd2nd1st
European Championships1st1st2nd1st1st1st
USSR Championships1st1st
1977World Cup1st1st1st2nd1st
1978World Championships1st2nd1st2nd2nd
USSR Cup3rd
1979World Championships1st2nd
USSR Championships3rd3rd

Honours and awards

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Nikolay Andrianov". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
  2. London 2012 – Olympic legend Andrianov dies – Yahoo! Eurosport. Uk.eurosport.yahoo.com. Retrieved on 22 March 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 Fyodorov, Gennady (21 March 2011). "Olympics-Gymnastics great Andrianov dies after long illness". Reuters. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  4. Eskenazi, Gerald (3 August 1992). "BARCELONA: Gymnastics; On Scherbo's Night, Dimas Also Sparkles". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  5. Pursuit of excellence, the Olympic story. Grolier Enterprises. 1983. p. 373. ISBN 978-0-7172-8171-8.
  6. Strom, Stephanie (5 September 2000). "OLYMPICS; For a Japanese Gymnast, Honor Thy Father". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  7. Amanda Turner. "Legendary Olympian In Fight For His Life". International Gymnast. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  8. Amanda Turner. "Olympic Legend Andrianov Dies at 58". International Gymnast. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  9. 1 2 "London 2012 – Olympic legend Andrianov dies aged 58". Yahoo!. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  • This article contains information from the website http://www.gymnast.ru/, incorporated into the Wikipedia with permission from its author E. V. Avsenev.
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