Vladimir Kiselyov

Although born in Russia, Vladimir Kiselyov grew up in Kremenchuk, Ukraine where his family moved when he was five months old. Initially a cyclist, Kiselyov took up athletics and shot put when he was 15-years-old. The apex of Kiselyov’s career was at the 1980 Olympics, where he won a surprising gold medal. Before the Olympics, Kiselyov was quite unknown, having won the 1975 European junior title, a bronze at the 1979 European Indoors, and silver at the 1979 Soviet Championships, but he opened with 21.10 and then threw 21.35 in the final round, becoming the first athlete to surpass 70 feet at the Olympics, to win a gold medal.

After the Olympics, Kiselyov missed a season due to a hand injury and then won his first Soviet title in 1982. In 1984 Kiselyov won his second Soviet title, but was unable to defend his Olympic title due to the Soviet boycott. Instead of the Olympics, Kiselyov competed at the Friendship Games, and finished third in the shot with his personal best of 21.58, which was 32 cm better than the mark made by Alessandro Andrei in the Olympic final. Kiselyov finished his sports career in 1985 and later worked as an athletics coach in his hometown of Kremenchuk. In 2002 he became head of the physical education department of Kremenchuk Institute of Dnipropetrovsk University of Economics and Law.

Personal Best: SP – 21.58 (1984).