Semyon BELITS-GEIMAN

Semyon Belits-Geyman, son of Russian documentary filmmaker Viktor Belits-Geyman and cousin of a Russian tennis player who is also named Semyon Belits-Geyman, took up swimming at the age of eight and was selected to the Soviet national team in 1962. During his swimming career, which lasted until the mid-1970s, Belits-Geyman competed in two Olympic Games and the 1966 European Championships. Belits-Geyman made his international début at the 1964 Olympics, where he reached the final of the 400 freestyle, but had to settle for last place in the final. In 1965 Belits-Geyman won his first international tournament medals when he captured the Universiade 400 metre freestyle title and silver medals in the 1,500 m freestyle, the 4×100 freestyle relay, and the 4×200 free relay. At the 1966 European Championships Belits-Geyman won two titles, the 1,500 freestyle and the 4×200 freestyle relay, and added a silver in the 400 freestyle. In 1968, at his last international competition, the 1968 Olympics, Belits-Geyman reached the final of the 200 free, finishing seventh, and won silver as a member of the Soviet 4×100 free relay and bronze in the 4×200 relay. Belits-Geyman also set one 800 metre freestyle world record in 1966, when he swam 8:47.4 in Budapest. Domestically, Belits-Geyman won 13 Soviet titles: 200 freestyle in 1964; 400 freestyle in 1963-65, 1967-69; 1,500 freestyle in 1967 and 1970; and 4×200 free relay in 1963, 1967, 1969 and 1973.

From 1964-69 Belits-Geyman studied economy at the Moscow Institute of Transport Engineers and later studied journalism at the Lomonosov Moscow State University. From 1974-80 Belits-Geyman was president of the Soviet Swimming Federation. During his sporting career, Belits-Geyman worked as a correspondent to various newspapers and made radio commentaries from his competitions. Beginning in 1974, Belits-Geyman worked as a full-time correspondent to a weekly magazine Sports in Moscow (Спортивная Москва) and in 1978 became the editor of the magazine Sports Life in Russia (Спортивная жизнь России). After the fall of the Soviet Union, Belits-Geyman emigrated to the United States, settling in Stamford, Connecticut and, since 1993, has worked as a correspondent for the USA and Canada for the newspaper Soviet Sports (Советский спорт) and Legal Magazine (Юридическая газета).

Personal Bests: 100 m freestyle – 54.1 (1968); 200 m freestyle – 1:59.9 (1968); 400 m freestyle – 4:11.0 (1967); 800 m freestyle – 8:45.7 (1969); 1,500 m freestyle – 16:50.7 (1969).