Top Facts about Nikolai Andrianov, the Great Gymnast

Nikolai Yefimovich Andrianov was born on 14 October 1952 and died on 21 March 2011. He was a Soviet and Russian gymnast. In this article we are going to have a look at

top facts about Nikolai Andrianov

.

Top facts about Nikolai Andrianov you need to know

Now let's review the professional and personal life of one of the moat successful athletes in the history of Olympic Games.

Nikolai Andrianov quick information

Nikolai Andrianov had the record for men for the most Olympic medals at 15, including 7 gold medals, 5 silver medals, 3 bronze medals until the American swimmer Michael Phelps exceeded him at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Andrianov is the third athlete (male or female) in accumulative Olympic medals after Michael Phelps's 28 and Larisa Latynina's 18. Nikolai Andrianov won the most number of medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics with 6 individual medals and one team medal.

In the sport of Men's Artistic Gymnastics, Nikolai Andrianov also holds the men's record for most individual Olympic medals with 12 medals and shares the male record for most individual Olympic gold medals in gymnastics with 6 medals with Boris Shakhlin and Dmitry Bilozerchev.

In many other rankings among all-time medal winners at the Olympic, World, and European levels, he ranks on the top positions. For example, Nikolai Andrianov is second only to Vitaly Scherbo in total individual medal totals at either the gold level or any level at the combined Olympic and World ranks as well as at the combined Olympic, World, and European levels, simply making him one of the most medal winners in gymnastics of all time.

Nikolai Andrianov personal information

• Full name:

  Nikolai Yefimovich Andrianov

• Country represented:

  Soviet Union

• Born:

  14 October 1952 in Vladimir, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union

• Died:

  21 March 2011 (aged 58) in Vladimir, Russian Federation

• Height:

  166 centimetres

• Weight:

  60 kilograms

• Discipline:

  Men's artistic gymnastics

• Head coach:

  Nikolai Tolkachev

Nikolai Andrianov Early life and Olympic career

One of the top facts about Nikolai Andrianov is that he entered the Children and Youth Sports School of the Burevestnik sports society in Vladimir at the age of 11. Nikolai Andrianov’s first international achievement happened in 1971 at the European Championships in Madrid, where he gained two gold medals. Between 1971 and 1980 Nikolai Andrianov won many international gymnastics tournaments, including the Olympic Games, world championships and European competitions.

Nikolai Andrianov's first Olympic medal was a gold in the 1972 floor competition. Andrianov dominated the 1976 gymnastics tournament, winning four gold madals, including the all-around, two silver medals, and a bronze medal. These medals included gold medals in the floor exercises, rings, and vault, as well as a prized gold in the 1976 all-around. Nikolai Andrianov’s record of four gymnastic gold medals at a single tournament stood until Vitaly Scherbo won six other medals in 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

One of the top facts about Nikolai Andrianov is that he took the Olympic Oath for athletes at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. In the gymnastics competition, Nikolai Andrianov won two more golds, two silvers, and a bronze. Nikolai Andrianov's gold medals in that Olympics were in the vault and team competition, his silver medals were in the all-around and floor exercises, and his bronze medal was in the horizontal bar. Nikolai Andrianov retired only a short time after that year's Olympics.

Nikolai Andrianov later life

One of the

top facts about Nikolai Andrianov

is that he married another famous Soviet gymnast, two-time Olympic champion Lyubov Burda. Nikolai Andrianov and Lyubov Burda together they worked as children's gymnastics coaches, with Andrianov being the head coach of the Soviet national men's junior team from 1981 to 1992. Between 1990 and 1992 Nikolai Andrianov also coached the Soviet senior gymnastics team, and from 1990 to 1993 he headed the Soviet and later the Russian Gymnastics Federation.

In 2001, Nikolai Andrianov was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Between 1994 and 2002 Nikolai Andrianov coached the Japan Olympic gymnastics team, on the offer of his former rival, Mitsuo Tsukahara.

Nikolai Andrianov coached Tsukahara's son, Naoya Tsukahara, and both father and son praise him with raising Naoya's talents and self-confidence to prepare him to compete at the international level. In 2002 Nikolai Andrianov became the chief of gymnastics at the N.G. Tolkachyov Specialized Children and Youth sports school in Vladimir, where he first began the sport as a child.

Nikolai Andrianov Illness and death

One of the top facts about Nikolai Andrianov is about his illness and death. In his final years, Nikolai Andrianov developed the deteriorating neurological illness multiple system atrophy and in his final months was not able to move his arms or legs or even talk. Eventually Nikolai Andrianov died on 21 March 2011 at the age of 58, in his birthplace of Vladimir. Russia's national gymnastic team coach, Alexander Alexandrov, termed the death "tragic", but said that he had been ill for a long time.

Nikolai Andrianov achievements

Olympic Games

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1972 Munich in Floor exercise

• Gold medal – first place:

  1976 Montreal in All-around

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1976 Montreal in Floor exercise

• Gold medal – first place:

  1976 Montreal in Rings

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1976 Montreal in Vault

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1980 Moscow in Team competition

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1980 Moscow in Vault

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1972 Munich in Team competition

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1976 Montreal in Team competition

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1976 Montreal in Parallel bars

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1980 Moscow in All-around

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1980 Moscow in Floor exercise

• Bronze medal - third place

  : 1972 Munich in Vault

• Bronze medal – third place

  : 1976 Montreal in Pommel horse

• Bronze medal – third place

  : 1980 Moscow in Horizontal bar

World Championships

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1974 Varna in Still rings

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1978 Strasbourg in Still rings

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1978 Strasbourg in All-around

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1979 Ft. Worth in Team competition

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1974 Varna in Team competition

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1974 Varna in All-around

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1974 Varna in Pommel horse

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1974 Varna in Vault

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1974 Varna in Parallel bars

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1978 Strasbourg in Team competition

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1978 Strasbourg in Vault

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1978 Strasbourg in Parallel bars

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1979 Ft. Worth in Vault

European Championships

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1971 Madrid in Pommel horse

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1971 Madrid in Vault

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1973 Grenoble in Floor exercise

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1973 Grenoble in Vault

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1975 Bern in All-around

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1975 Bern in Floor exercise

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1975 Bern in Vault

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1975 Bern in Parallel bars

• Gold medal – first place

  : 1975 Bern in Horizontal bar

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1971 Madrid in Still rings

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1971 Madrid in Parallel bars

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1973 Grenoble in All-around

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1973 Grenoble in Still rings

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1973 Grenoble in Parallel bars

• Silver medal – second place

  : 1975 Bern in Pommel horse

• Bronze medal – third place

  : 1971 Madrid in All-around

• Bronze medal – third place

  : 1971 Madrid in Floor exercise

Nikolai Andrianov awards

One of the 

top facts about Nikolai Andrianov

 is that he achieved the folowing awards during his glorous life: 

• Order of Lenin

• Order of the Badge of Honour

• Order of the Red Banner of Labour

• Medal "For Labour Valour"

• Lenin Komsomol Prize

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