Vladimir Salnikov facts for kids
Salnikov in 2010
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| Nickname(s) | "Tsar of the Pool", "Monster of the Waves", "Leningrad Express" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 21 May 1960 Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
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| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 74 kilograms (163 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Zenit Leningrad/SKA Leningrad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Gleb Petrov (1968–1973) Igor Koshkin (1973–1985) Marina Salnikova (1985–1988) |
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Medal record
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Vladimir Valeryevich Salnikov (Russian: Владимир Валерьевич Сальников; born May 21, 1960) is a famous Russian swimmer. He was amazing at freestyle swimming, setting 12 world records! People called him the "Tsar of the Pool," "Monster of the Waves," and "Leningrad Express." He was the first swimmer ever to finish the 1500-meter race in less than 15 minutes. He was also the first to swim the 800-meter race in under eight minutes. Swimming World magazine named him the Male World Swimmer of the Year in 1979 and 1982.
Contents
Vladimir Salnikov's Swimming Journey
Vladimir Salnikov was born in Leningrad, which is now called Saint Petersburg. His dad was a sea captain. When Vladimir was seven, his mom took him to a swimming pool. He joined a swimming team and started training regularly a year later. He trained at sports clubs called Zenit and later the Armed Forces.
Early Olympic Experience
Salnikov first competed in the Olympic Games in 1976 in Montreal, Canada. He was only 16 years old. He broke the European record in the 1500-meter race but finished fifth. This was just the beginning of his amazing career.
Becoming a World Champion
His winning streak began in 1977 at the European Championship. He won a gold medal in his favorite race, the 1500-meter freestyle. At the 1978 World Championships in Berlin, Salnikov won two more gold medals. He won the 400-meter and 1500-meter races. He even set a new world record in the 400 meters. A year later, he set another world record in the 800-meter race. He was the first person to swim this distance in less than eight minutes!
Moscow Olympics 1980: Making History
The United States and some other countries did not go to the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. This was a protest against the Soviet Union's actions in Afghanistan. But Salnikov showed everyone how good he was. He won the 1500-meter race in 14 minutes and 58.27 seconds. This made him the first person ever to swim the distance in under 15 minutes!
He won two more gold medals at these Olympics. He won the 4x200-meter relay and the 400-meter race. For the 1500-meter race, his goal was not just to win, but to break the world record and the 15-minute barrier. He kept an eye on the clock by the pool to control his speed. He also wanted to break the 400-meter world record, but he got the Olympic record instead. He wasn't even planning to swim in the 4x200-meter relay, but his team managers asked him to join.
Continuing His Dominance
In the early 1980s, Salnikov was the best in long-distance freestyle races. In 1982, he won his world titles again. A year later, at the Soviet Winter Nationals, he set a new world record in the 1500-meter race with a time of 14:54.76. This record lasted for many years, until 1991.
Seoul Olympics 1988: A Comeback Story
The Soviet Union did not go to the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. So, Salnikov could not defend his titles. He returned to the Olympics in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. He was 28 years old, and many people thought he was too old to win.
He had set a world record in the 800-meter race in 1986. But after that, he hadn't been swimming as well. He finished fourth in the 1500-meter race at the 1986 World Championships. He didn't even make it to the final at the 1987 European Championships. His results before the 1988 Olympics were not good enough for the Soviet Olympic team. He was only included because Soviet officials stepped in.
But Salnikov proved everyone wrong! He won the 1500-meter race. He later said that he swam so hard he felt like he blacked out for the last 20-30 meters. That night, when he walked into the Olympic Village restaurant, all the other athletes gave him a standing ovation. It was an amazing comeback!
Other Major Wins
Besides his Olympic medals, Salnikov also won:
- Four gold medals at the World Championships.
- Four gold medals at the European Championships.
- One silver medal at the European Championships.
Coaches Who Shaped a Champion
Igor Koshkin is known for helping Salnikov become a top swimmer. Later in his career, Salnikov spent some time in Mission Viejo, USA. There, he worked with coaches Mark Shubert, Brian Goodell, and Tim Shaw. In the mid-1980s, Salnikov stopped working with Koshkin. Koshkin thought a 25-year-old swimmer wouldn't get any better. From 1984-1985, Salnikov was coached by his wife, Marina. She was a former Soviet record holder in the 100-meter track race and a sports psychologist.
Life After Swimming
After the 1988 Olympics, Salnikov stopped competing. Until 1990, he worked as the head coach for the Soviet swimming team. At the same time, from 1989 to 1991, he was the vice-president of the Soviet Swimming Federation. From 1991 to 2001, he worked for a company called Olimp and represented Speedo in Russia.
He was also a member of the Soviet Olympic Committee from 1984 to 1990. From 1991 to 2000, he was part of the International Swimming Federation's (FINA) Athletes' Commission. In 2009, he was chosen as the president of the Russian Swimming Federation.
Salnikov has received many important awards, including the Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1980), Order of Lenin (1985), Order of the October Revolution (1988), and Order of Honour (2010). In 1993, he was added to the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He also has a PhD in pedagogy, which is the study of teaching.
Salnikov's win in Seoul in 1988 is even mentioned in the 2011 Irish film The Guard.
See also
In Spanish: Vladímir Sálnikov para niños
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
- World record progression 400 metres freestyle
- World record progression 800 metres freestyle
- World record progression 1500 metres freestyle
