Igor TER-OVANESYAN

Born in Kyiv, Ukraine to an Armenian father and Ukrainian mother, Igor Ter-Ovanesyan grew up in Moskva, where his family fled during World War II. In 1954, his family moved back to Ukraine, settling in Lviv and there Ter-Ovanesyan took up athletics at age 15. Showing great talent as a teenager, he was selected for the Soviet national team when he was 17. Competing at five Olympics and five European Championships during his career, Ter-Ovanesyan won Olympic long jump bronze in 1960 and 1964 and was the European Champion in 1958, 1962 and 1969, taking silver in 1966 and 1971. He also won silver at the 1971 European Indoor Championships, won gold at the 1966 and 1968 European Indoor Games and was the Universiade champion in 1961, 1963 and 1965. Ter-Ovanesyan set two world records during his career, both at high altitude – 8.31 in June 1962 at Yerevan and 8.35 in October 1967 at Mexico City. Ter-Ovanesyan won 15 Soviet titles – in 1957, 1959-60, 1962-69 and 1971 in long jump and in 1958, 1959 and 1963 in 4x100 relay.

Ter-Ovanesyan finished his sports career after the 1972 Olympics and later worked as an athletics coach. His most famous pupils were the 1980 Olympic long jump champion Tatyana Kolpakova and 1980 Olympic long jump bronze medalist Valeriy Pidluzhniy. From 1983-89 Ter-Ovanesyan was head coach of the Soviet national track & field team. He later worked as chairman of the General Council of the coaching teams of the Sports Committee of Russia. In 1994, he was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation State Committee for Sports and Physical Culture. He also worked as a professor in the track & field department of Moskva State Academy of Physical Education. In 1991, Ter-Ovanesyan became a member of the IAAF Central Council.

Personal Best: LJ – 8.35 (1967).