Anatoly Nazarenko took up wrestling in 1965 and rose to be one of the world’s best Greco-Roman middleweight wrestlers in the early 1970s. At the most important tournament of his career, however, the 1972 Olympics, Nazarenko had to settle for silver, because of a first round loss by decision to eventual gold medal winner Csaba Hegedűs. Nazarenko, however, won the rest of his matches at the Olympics, three of them by fall and claimed the silver medal.
In addition to his Olympic silver, Nazarenko was World Champion in 1970, 1974 and 1975 and European Champion in 1972 and 1974. He also won silver at the 1971 World Championships and bronze at the 1977 European Championships. Domestically, Nazarenko won six Soviet titles (1969, 1971-75). After finishing his sporting career, Nazarenko worked as a wrestling coach in his native Kazakhstan.
Soviet Union
Kazakhstan