Ukrainian race walker and coach who won several international medals and trained numerous Olympic athletes, making significant contributions to the sport.
Anatoliy Solomin is a former Soviet Ukrainian race walker who shot to fame in the 1980 Summer Olympics, where he came agonizingly close to winning the gold medal in the men's 20 km walk. However, he was disqualified from the lead shortly before the finish, leaving many to wonder what could have been.
The 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow were meant to be Solomin's crowning moment. He broke away from the main group with Bautista, who was the defending champion and had been ranked number one in the world every year since 1975. The two seemed headed for gold and silver, but in one of the most dramatic moments of the 1980 Games, both Bautista and Solomin were disqualified near the finish for improper walking, and the gold went to Italy's Maurizio Damilano, who had been in third place.
Solomin would eventually find redemption in the 1983 European Indoor Championships, where he won gold in the men's 5000 m walk, defeating his teammate Yevgeniy Yevsyukov by almost 22 seconds.
Later that year, he placed third at the IAAF Race Walking Cup in Bergen, losing only to the top two from the World Championships, Jozef Pribilinec and Ernesto Canto. Solomin's time of 1:19:43 was his personal best, only 13 seconds off the world best Pribilinec set in winning the race, and remained the Ukrainian record until Ivan Losev broke it at the 2014 Ukrainian championships.
Anatoliy Solomin's achievements on the track may have been overshadowed by the drama of the 1980 Olympics, but his contributions to the world of race walking cannot be overstated. He remains one of the most successful Soviet Ukrainian race walkers of all time, and his records and accolades continue to inspire future generations of athletes.
Solomin's story is a testament to the power of perseverance and dedication. Despite the setbacks and disappointments, he continued to push himself to be the best, and his legacy is a reminder that even in the face of adversity, greatness is always within reach.
88 Years Old
Ukrainian weightlifter and coach who won Olympic medals and trained multiple world champions, known for his innovative training methods and contributions to the sport.
38 Years Old
A Ukrainian professional boxer known for his exceptional skills, winning world titles in three weight classes, and being named the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. He is a highly decorated fighter with a strong amateur background, winning two Olympic gold medals.
