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Vladimir Kuts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men's athletics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1956 Melbourne | 5000m | |
| Gold | 1956 Melbourne | 10000m | |
Vladimir Petrovich Kuts (Russian: Владимир Петрович Куц) (February 7, 1927 – August 16, 1975) was a Soviet long distance runner. He is alternatively known as Volodymyr Kuts, the Ukrainian spelling, as Kuts was born in Aleksino, which is in present-day Ukraine.
Kuts, who was an army officer during his sportive career, was first noticed internationally in 1954. At the European Championships in Berne, he defeated the favourites - Czech star Emil Zátopek and Britain's Christopher Chataway - in the 5000 m, en passant setting a new world record. Kuts lost the World Record months later to Chataway (who beat him narrowly), only to take it back again 10 days later.
Having lost his World Record again in 1955, Kuts was still one of the favourites for the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. His chief opponent in the 5000 m was British runner Gordon Pirie, who had broken the world record earlier that year. However, Kuts had set a new world record in the 10000 m shortly before the Games. In the first final, the 10000 m Kuts - as always - lead from the start, finally breaking Pirie's spirit 4 laps from the end, winning easily. The 5000 m final (5 days later) was a formality, and Kuts gained his second gold of the Games.
Kuts improved the 5000 m WR in 1957 to 13:35.0, a time which would remain unbeaten until 1965, when it was beaten by Ron Clarke. Kuts himself soon found himself unable to keep up with the top runners, and retired in 1959.
He died of a heart attack, aged only 48, in Moscow.
Vladimir Kuts (1962). From a Newbie to Master of Sport (in Russian). Moscow: Voenizdat.
| Olympic champions in men's 5000 m |
|---|
|
1912: Hannes Kolehmainen | 1920: Joseph Guillemot | 1924: Paavo Nurmi | 1928: Ville Ritola | 1932: Lauri Lehtinen | 1936: Gunnar Höckert | 1948: Gaston Reiff | 1952: Emil Zátopek | 1956: Vladimir Kuts | 1960: Murray Halberg | 1964: Bob Schul | 1968: Mohammed Gammoudi | 1972: Lasse Virén | 1976: Lasse Virén | 1980: Miruts Yifter | 1984: Saïd Aouita | 1988: John Ngugi | 1992: Dieter Baumann | 1996: Vénuste Niyongabo | 2000: Millon Wolde | 2004: Hicham El Guerrouj |
| Olympic champions in men's 5 miles and 10000 m |
|---|
| As five miles: 1906: Henry Hawtrey | 1908: Emil Voigt |
| As 10000 metres: 1912: Hannes Kolehmainen | 1920: Paavo Nurmi | 1924: Ville Ritola | 1928: Paavo Nurmi | 1932: Janusz Kusociński | 1936: Ilmari Salminen | 1948: Emil Zátopek | 1952: Emil Zátopek | 1956: Vladimir Kuts | 1960: Pyotr Bolotnikov | 1964: Billy Mills | 1968: Naftali Temu | 1972: Lasse Virén | 1976: Lasse Virén |1980: Miruts Yifter | 1984: Alberto Cova | 1988: Brahim Boutayeb | 1992: Khalid Skah | 1996: Haile Gebrselassie | 2000: Haile Gebrselassie | 2004: Kenenisa Bekele |