Vladimir Kaplunov

Vladimir Kaplunov from Siberia was selected for the Soviet national team in 1961, when he won a silver in lightweight at the Soviet Championships. He turned this silver into gold at the next Soviet championships and also won the lightweight title in 1963 and 1964. The year 1962 was probably Kaplunov’s best as, in addition to the Soviet title, he also won the World and European titles, the latter of which he earned again in 1964. His other medals at major international tournaments were silver at the 1964 Olympics, silver at the 1964 World Championships, bronze at the 1963 and 1965 Worlds, silver at the 1965 and bronze at the 1963 Europeans. In 1966 Kaplunov switched to the middleweight class, but met with less success, winning only bronze at the 1966 Soviet championships. During his career Kaplunov set 10 lightweight world records, five in the press, two in the clean & jerk, and three in the total, as well as two middleweight world records, both in press. After finishing his sporting career Kaplunov worked as a weightlifting coach in Odintsovo, Moskva Oblast.