Aleksandr Karapuzov

Aleksandr Karapuzov was 12-years-old when he began ski jumping in 1967, eventually becoming an eight-time USSR champion. In 1972 Karapuzov won gold at the European Junior Championships, making his senior début for the USSR team the same year. Over the next six years he competed at multiple competitions, including being a regular at the Four Hills Tournament. In 1975 he was awarded with the title of Master of Sports of International Class before being selected to compete at the Olympics. At the 1976 Innsbruck Games he competed in both the normal and large hill events, placing 12th and 15th, respectively.

Karapuzov ended his ski jumping career in 1978 and graduated from the coaching school at the Military Institute of Physical Culture one year later. His aunt Irina Turundayevskaya was also a skier who represented the Soviet Union in Alpine skiing at the 1968 Grenoble Olympics. Tragically, Karapuzov was only 39-years-old when he died in May 1995. A granite monument was installed at the cemetery in Toksovo, Leningrad where he was buried to honour his memory.