Valentin Mankin facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Ukrainian | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 19 August 1938 Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
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| Died | 1 June 2014 (aged 75) Viareggio, Italy |
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| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Sailing | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Finn, Tempest class, Star class | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Valentyn Grigoryevich Mankin (Ukrainian: Валентин Григорович Манкин) was an amazing sailor from Kyiv, Ukraine. He was born on August 19, 1938, and passed away on June 1, 2014. Valentyn became a true legend in the sport of sailing. He won three gold medals for the Soviet Union at the Summer Olympics. This makes him one of the most successful Olympic sailors ever!
Contents
Valentyn Mankin's Early Life and Training
Valentyn Mankin was a Jewish athlete. He trained with a sports club called VSS Vodnik. This club helped him become a top sailor. He worked very hard to master his skills on the water.
First Olympic Gold: Mexico City 1968
Valentyn's first big win came at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. He competed in the Finn class of sailing. This is a type of small boat for one person. Valentyn was incredible, winning or coming second in most of his races. He beat 35 other sailors to proudly win his first gold medal.
Switching Classes: Munich 1972 and Montreal 1976
After his win in the Finn class, Valentyn decided to try new challenges.
- At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, he switched to the Tempest class. This boat needs two sailors. He teamed up with Vitaly Dyrdyra. Together, they sailed perfectly and won another gold medal!
- Four years later, at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Valentyn competed in the Tempest class again. This time, his partner was Vladyslav Akimenko. They sailed very well and earned a silver medal.
Third Gold Medal: Moscow 1980
Valentyn Mankin was 41 years old when he competed in his last Olympics. This was at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. He decided to try yet another boat class, the Star class. This boat also needs two sailors. Valentyn teamed up with Aleksandr Muzychenko. The competition was very close, right up to the last race. But Valentyn and Aleksandr showed their amazing skill. They won the final race and secured Valentyn's third Olympic gold medal!
A Unique Olympic Record
Valentyn Mankin holds a very special record in Olympic sailing. He is the only sailor in history to win gold medals in three different types of boats:
- The Finn class
- The Tempest class
- The Star class
This shows how talented and adaptable he was as a sailor.
Life After Competing
After his incredible sailing career, Valentyn Mankin moved to Livorno, Italy. He became a coach and technical director for the Italian Sailing Federation. He helped train many new top sailors. He also started the Olympic Training Centre in Livorno. This center was named after Beppe Croce, another famous Olympic sailor. Valentyn Mankin passed away in Viareggio, Italy, on June 1, 2014. He left behind a legacy as one of the greatest sailors of all time.
See also
- List of select Jews in sailing
