Denis Pankratov facts for kids
Pankratov in 2015
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| Nationality |  Russia |
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| Born | 4 July 1974 Volgograd, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
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| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 81 kilograms (179 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Butterfly | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Central Sport Klub Army, Volgograd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Denis Pankratov (born 4 July 1974) is a famous Russian swimmer. He was known for his amazing butterfly stroke in the 1990s. Denis won two gold medals at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, USA. He had a very special way of swimming underwater. He trained in Volgograd with another great swimmer, Yevgeny Sadovyi.
Contents
Denis Pankratov's Swimming Journey
Denis Pankratov was born in Volgograd, which was part of the Soviet Union at the time.
Early Wins and Olympic Debut
When Denis was 16, he started winning big. He won the Junior European Championships in butterfly in both 1990 and 1991. His first time competing at a major international event was the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He finished 6th in the 200-meter butterfly race.
In 1993, Denis won his first senior medals at the European Championships in Sheffield. He earned gold medals in the 200-meter butterfly and the 4x100-meter medley relay. He also took home a silver medal in the 100-meter butterfly.
Breaking Records and European Success
Denis showed his talent again at the 1995 European Championships in Vienna. This time, he won three gold medals! He won the 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly, and the 4x100-meter medley relay. In the 100-meter butterfly, he even broke a nine-year-old world record. His new record was 52.32 seconds. He held this record for more than two years.
At the 1994 World Championships in Rome, Denis competed against the world's best swimmers. He won the 200-meter butterfly. He also got a silver medal in the 4x100-meter medley relay. Plus, he earned a bronze medal in the 100-meter butterfly. These wins showed everyone that Denis was the top butterfly swimmer in the world.
Olympic Glory and Unique Style
Two years later, at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Denis achieved his biggest success. He won two gold medals! One was for the 100-meter butterfly, and the other for the 200-meter butterfly. He also won a silver medal with his Russian teammates in the 4x100-meter medley relay.
His 100-meter butterfly win was amazing. He broke his own world record with a time of 52.27 seconds. What made his win special was his unique underwater swimming style. He swam more than 25 meters of the first lap underwater. Then, he swam another 15 meters underwater in the opposite direction. This "submarine technique" was so effective that it led to a new rule. Now, butterfly swimmers can only swim 15 meters underwater. This rule is similar to those for other swimming strokes.
Later Career and Legacy
Denis tried to win more medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He finished 7th in the 200-meter butterfly. He stopped competing in 2002.
Throughout his career, Denis Pankratov set seven world records. Three were in long course pools, and four were in short course pools. His 100-meter butterfly long course records lasted for two years. His 200-meter butterfly world record (1:55.22) lasted for five years. It was later broken by Tom Malchow from the United States. In 1995 and 1996, Swimming World magazine named him the male World Swimmer of the Year.
See also
In Spanish: Denís Pankrátov para niños
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
