Aleksandr Grigoryev (athlete)

Aleksandr Grigoryev (Russian: Александр Николаевич Григорьев; born 7 October 1955) is a former Belarusian high jumper who competed for the Soviet Union. He represented his country at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and was a seven-time Soviet champion. He was a medallist at the European Athletics Championships, IAAF World Cup and multiple times at the European Cup. He held a personal best of 2.30 m (7 ft 6+1⁄2 in).

Aleksandr Grigoryev
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  Soviet Union
IAAF World Cup
Bronze medal – third place1979 MontrealHigh jump
European Championships
Silver medal – second place1978 PragueHigh jump

Born in Saint Petersburg, he was a member of the SK VS Minsk sports club in Belarus during his career.[1] He had his breakthrough year in 1975, winning his first national title at the Soviet Spartakiad and breaking the championship record to win the 1975 European Cup with a leap of 2.24 m (7 ft 4 in).[2][3] He was also fourth at the 1975 European Athletics Indoor Championships.[4]

Grigoryev missed the 1976 season but reappeared in 1977 to win the Soviet title indoor and outdoors,[5][2] as well as taking bronze medals at that year's Universiade and European Cup.[6][3] His lifetime best jump of 2.30 m (7 ft 6+1⁄2 in) in Riga that June ranked him third in the world.[4] He won the Soviet indoor title with an indoor best of 2.28 m (7 ft 5+3⁄4 in), which was a championship record. He retained that outdoor title a year later and also broke the Soviet Athletics Championships record with 2.26 m (7 ft 4+3⁄4 in) outdoors.[5] In international competition he placed fourth at the 1978 European Athletics Indoor Championships,[4] but won the highest honour of his career at the 1978 European Athletics Championships – a silver medal behind Soviet teammate and world record holder Vladimir Yashchenko.[7][8]

A third straight national title outdoors came at the 1979 Soviet Spartakiad, seeing off a challenge from American Benn Fields.[9] He was a bronze medallist in the high jump at both the 1979 European Cup and the 1979 IAAF World Cup.[3][10] He gained selection for the Soviet Union at the 1980 Summer Olympics and reached eighth in the final on home turf.[1] He took his final national title at the 1981 Soviet Championships.[2]

International competitions
YearCompetitionVenuePositionNotes
1975 European Indoor Championships Katowice, Poland 4th 2.19 m
European Cup Nice, France 1st 2.24 m CR
1977 European Cup Helsinki, Finland 3rd 2.20 m
Universiade Sofia, Bulgaria 3rd 2.19 m
1978 European Indoor Championships Milan, Italy 4th 2.25 m
European Championships Prague, Czechoslovakia 2nd 2.28 m
1979 European Cup Turin, Italy 3rd 2.24 m
IAAF World Cup Montreal, Canada 3rd 2.24 m
1980 Olympic Games Moscow, Soviet Union 8th 2.21 m

National titles

See also

References
  1. Aleksandr Grigoryev. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2017-03-11.
  2. Soviet Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2017-03-11.
  3. European Cup (Men). GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2017-03-11.
  4. Aleksandr Grigoryev. Track and Field Brinkster. Retrieved on 2017-03-11.
  5. Soviet Indoor Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2017-03-11.
  6. Universiade. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2017-03-11.
  7. European Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2017-03-11.
  8. Reineri, Giorgio (1999-12-01) Volodomir Yashchenko the last King of the Straddle. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-07-29.
  9. Лёгкая атлетика. Справочник / Составитель Р. В. Орлов. — М.: «Физкультура и спорт», 1983. — 392 с.
  10. IAAF World Cup. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2017-03-11.
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