Vladimir Kuts facts for kids
Volodymyr Petrovych Kuts (born February 7, 1927 – died August 16, 1975) was a famous long-distance runner from the Soviet Union. He was known for winning two gold medals at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. He won both the 5000 meter and 10,000 meter races, setting new Olympic records in both events.
Kuts winning the 5000 m Olympic final in 1956.
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 7 February 1927 Oleksyne, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
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| Died | 16 August 1975 (aged 48) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
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| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 72 kg (159 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Running | |||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 5000 m, 10,000 m | |||||||||||||||||||
| Club | VP Leningrad | |||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Grigory Nikiforov | |||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 5000 m – 13:35.0 (1957) 10000 m – 28:30.4 (1956) |
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Medal record
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Contents
Early Life and Career
Kuts was born in Oleksyne, which was part of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. He joined the Soviet Army at a young age during World War II. He served for two years as a messenger.
After the war, Kuts continued his military service in the navy. This is when he started running. He quickly became very good at it.
First Wins and Records
In 1951, Kuts won his first national titles in the 5000 meter and 10,000 meter races. He kept winning these titles from 1953 to 1956.
His first big international win was in 1954 at the European Championships. He won the 5000 meter race, beating famous runners like Emil Zátopek. Kuts even set a new world record in that race.
He lost the world record a few months later to Christopher Chataway. But Kuts quickly took it back just 10 days later!
Olympic Glory in Melbourne
By 1956, Kuts was one of the top runners in the world. He was a favorite for the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. His main rival in the 5000 meter race was Gordon Pirie from Britain.
Before the Olympics, Kuts had set a new world record for the 10,000 meter race. This showed he was in great shape.
The 10,000 Meter Race
In the 10,000 meter final, Kuts used his usual strategy. He led the race from the very beginning. He kept a fast pace, which made it hard for other runners to keep up.
With only four laps left, he finally broke away from Pirie. Kuts won the race by a large distance. He later said that if Pirie had stayed with him during his final sprint, he might have been too tired to finish.
The 5000 Meter Race
Five days later, Kuts competed in the 5000 meter final. This race ended in a similar way. Kuts led from start to finish, showing his amazing endurance.
He won by 11 seconds, which was the biggest winning difference ever for this event in Olympic history.
Retirement and Later Life
Kuts continued to break records after the Olympics. In 1957, he improved the 5000 meter world record to 13:35.0 minutes. This record stood for a long time, until 1965.
Even though he was still winning, Kuts retired from running in 1959 at age 32. He often had pain in his stomach and legs. These problems made it hard for him to train from 1957 to 1959.
After retiring, Kuts became an athletics coach. He helped many other runners.
Personal Life
Kuts was married twice. He met his first wife, Raisa Andreyevna Kuts, in 1953. She was a journalist who interviewed him. She helped him improve his Russian grammar. Kuts had only six years of schooling before World War II.
He had a son named Yuri, who became a scientist.
Images for kids
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Kuts winning the 5000 m Olympic final in 1956.
See also
In Spanish: Vladímir Kuts para niños
