Andrey Lavrov facts for kids
 Lavrov in 2008 |
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's handball | ||
Representing  Soviet Union |
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| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 1988 Seoul | Team |
| World Championships | ||
| Silver | 1990 Czechoslovakia | Team |
Representing the  Unified Team |
||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 1992 Barcelona | Team |
Representing  Russia |
||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 2000 Sydney | Team |
| Bronze | 2004 Athens | Team |
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 1993 Sweden | Team |
| Gold | 1997 Japan | Team |
| Silver | 1999 Egypt | Team |
| European Championships | ||
| Gold | 1996 Spain | Team |
| Silver | 1994 Portugal | Team |
| Silver | 2000 Croatia | Team |
Andrey Ivanovich Lavrov (born March 26, 1962) is a famous former handball goalkeeper from Krasnodar, Russia. He is known as one of the greatest handball players in history. A goalkeeper's job is to defend the goal and stop the other team from scoring.
Lavrov achieved something very few athletes ever have. He won Olympic gold medals playing for three different teams! This happened because of big changes in the countries of Eastern Europe during his career. He is also the only handball player to have won four Olympic medals.
Contents
A Legendary Handball Career
Andrey Lavrov was a key player and the longtime captain of the Russian national handball team. His skill and leadership helped his teams win many important titles.
Amazing Olympic Success
Lavrov's Olympic journey is truly unique. He competed in five Olympic Games and won medals in four of them.
- 1988 Seoul Olympics: Lavrov won his first gold medal with the Soviet Union team.
- 1992 Barcelona Olympics: After the Soviet Union dissolved, athletes from former Soviet republics competed together as the Unified Team. Lavrov won his second gold medal with this team.
- 2000 Sydney Olympics: He won his third gold medal, this time with the Russian national team. At the opening ceremony, he was chosen to be the flagbearer, leading all the Russian athletes.
- 2004 Athens Olympics: At the age of 42, Lavrov won his fourth and final Olympic medal. He and his Russian team earned a bronze medal.
World and European Championships
Besides his Olympic victories, Lavrov also had great success in other major tournaments. He helped Russia win two World Championships in 1993 and 1997.
He also won the European Championship in 1996. These wins showed that he was one of the best goalkeepers in the world for many years.
Recognition and Life After Handball
In 2001, Andrey Lavrov was given a special honor in his home country. He was voted "Russian handball player of the century." This award recognized his incredible talent and his importance to the sport in Russia.
After he stopped playing professionally, Lavrov did not leave the world of sports. He began working for the Russian government's sports ministry. There, he works to make handball more popular, sharing his love for the game with new generations.
See also
In Spanish: Andréi Lavrov para niños
- List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games
