Viktor Chukarin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Viktor Chukarin
Personal information
Full name	Viktor Ivanovich Chukarin
Country represented	USSR
Born	(1921-11-09)9 November 1921 Krasnoarmeyskoye, Donets Governorate, Ukrainian SSR
Died	25 August 1984(1984-08-25) (aged 62) Lviv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Discipline	Men's artistic gymnastics
Club	Iskra Lvov Burevestnik Lvov
Medal record Olympic Games Gold 1952 Helsinki Team competition Gold 1952 Helsinki All-around Gold 1952 Helsinki Pommel horse Gold 1952 Helsinki Vault Gold 1956 Melbourne Team competition Gold 1956 Melbourne All-around Gold 1956 Melbourne Parallel bars Silver 1952 Helsinki Rings Silver 1952 Helsinki Parallel bars Silver 1956 Melbourne Floor exercise Bronze 1956 Melbourne Pommel horse World Championships Gold 1954 Rome All-around Gold 1954 Rome Team competition Gold 1954 Rome Parallel bars Bronze 1954 Rome Pommel horse

Viktor Ivanovich Chukarin (born November 9, 1921 – died August 25, 1984) was a famous gymnast from the Soviet Union. He was an amazing athlete who won many medals. Viktor Chukarin earned eleven medals at the Olympic Games, including seven gold medals. He won these at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki and the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. He was also the best all-around gymnast in the world in 1954. In fact, he was the most successful athlete at the 1952 Summer Olympics!

Viktor Chukarin's Early Life and Training

Viktor Chukarin was born in a village called Krasnoarmeyskoye. This area is now part of Donetsk Oblast in Ukraine. His father was a Don Cossack, and his mother was of Greek background. When Viktor was three years old, his family moved to Mariupol. This is where he first started learning gymnastics. Later, he went to study at a special school for physical education in Kiev.

Viktor Chukarin's War Experience

In 1941, a big war started called the Great Patriotic War. Viktor joined the Red Army to fight. He was injured during a battle and was captured near Poltava. He became a prisoner of war.

Viktor was held in 17 different prison camps. When he was finally set free in 1945, he had lost a lot of weight. He weighed only 40 kilograms (about 88 pounds). After the war, he wanted to go back to his sports school in Kiev. But they did not accept him because of his health. So, he went to a similar school in Lviv instead.

Becoming a Gymnastics Champion

Even after his difficult war experience, Viktor Chukarin quickly returned to gymnastics.

• In 1946, he competed in the Soviet national championships.
• The next year, he finished fifth in the country.
• By 1948, he won his first national title.
• He became the all-around Soviet champion in 1949. He won this title again in 1950, 1951, 1953, and 1955.

Olympic and World Championship Success

The Soviet Union joined the Olympic Games for the first time in 1952. Viktor Chukarin was 30 years old then. Even though he was considered a bit older and heavier for a gymnast, he still performed incredibly well.

• At the 1952 Summer Olympics, he won six medals. This included the gold medal for the individual all-around competition. He won by a small margin of 0.7 points!
• He won five more Olympic medals at the 1956 Summer Olympics. This included another gold for the all-around title.

Viktor also led the Soviet team to victory at the 1954 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. There, he won gold medals in both the team all-around and the individual all-around events.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1957, Viktor Chukarin and another famous gymnast, Larisa Latynina, received a very important award. It was called the Order of Lenin, and it was the first time athletes had received it.

Viktor wrote a book about his sports journey in 1955. It was called The Road to the Peaks. Later, in 1961, he became a coach for the Armenian gymnastics team. In 1963, he became a professor at the Lviv Institute of Physical Culture.

Viktor Chukarin passed away in 1984. He was buried in the Lychakiv Cemetery. A street in Lviv was named after him to honor his achievements.

Images for kids

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  Viktor Chukarin, a famous Soviet gymnast.

See also