WW2 Prisoner-of-War,1^st Soviet Gymnastic Hero, 11-time Olympic medalist

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Category,Data

Full Name,Viktor Ivanovych Chukarin

Used Name,Viktor Chukarin

Original Name,Віктор Іванович Чукарін

Other Names,Viktor Ivanovich Chukarin; Виктор Иванович Чукарин

Born,9 November 1921; Krasnoarmeyskoye-Krym (UKR)

Died,25 August 1984; Lviv-Lviv (UKR)

Affiliations,Iskra Lvov / Burevestnik Lvov

Ethnic Nation,UKR

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Year-Games,Sport,Event,Place,Medals

1952 Summer,Gymnastics,Individual All-Around,1,Gold

,,Team All-Around,1,Gold

,,Floor Exercise,=29,

,,Horse Vault,1,Gold

,,Parallel Bars,2,Silver

,,Horizontal Bar,5,

,,Rings,2,Silver

,,Pommelled Horse,1,Gold

1956 Summer,Gymnastics,Individual All-Around,1,Gold

,,Team All-Around,1,Gold

,,Floor Exercise,=2,Silver

,,Horse Vault,=7,

,,Parallel Bars,1,Gold

,,Horizontal Bar,=4,

,,Rings,=7,

,,Pommelled Horse,3,Bronze

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Medals,Number

Gold,7

Silver,3

Bronze,1

Total,11

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Viktor Chukarin was a former World War II prisoner-of-war, who was 30-years-old when the USSR first competed at the Olympic Games in 1952. Despite these handicaps, he dominated the gymnastics competition in Helsinki, winning the all-around title in addition to taking gold in the team event and four medals in the individual apparatus events – gold on the pommelled horse and horse vault, and silver on the parallel bars and rings. In 1956, he successfully defended his all-around title and added two more gold, one as a member of the winning team, a silver and a bronze medal to bring his tally of Olympic medals to a then record total of 11. His 1956 individual medals were as follows: gold – all-around, parallel bars, team; silver – floor exercises; and bronze – pommelled horse. He was also World Champion in 1954 in the all-around and parallel bars and, after retiring, became head of gymnastics at the L’viv Institute of Physical Culture in his native Ukraine.