Yury Kovshov

Although the 1980 equestrian games were not a top competition, like the other Olympic Games, because almost all the top riders missed the competition due to the boycott, the dressage event were a class higher than the rest of the riding events at the 1980 Olympic Games, because the Soviet Union had been one of the top dressage countries since the 1960s. The Soviets were considered as favorites in both individual and team dressage, but they were upset by the 1979 European champion Sissy Theurer of Austria in the individual competition, so Yury Kovshov had to settle for a silver in individual event, while taking gold in team event. Besides his two Olympic medals, Kovshov won a team silver at the 1990 World Championships and team silvers at the 1989 and 1991 European Championships and team bronzes at the 1981 and 1985 European Championships. Kovshov won his only Soviet title in 1980.