Yevgeni MASKINSKOV

As a youth, Yevgeny Maskinskov did cross-country skiing, winning the regional championship in 1948-50, and did not take up race walking until he started to serve in the Soviet Army in 1950. Concentrating on longer distances, soon Maskinskov became one of the world’s top 50 km walkers by the end of the 1950s. During his career, Maskinskov won the 1956 Olympic 50 km walk silver and the 1958 European 50 km walk gold. He also won the 50 km walk bronze at the 1955 World Student Games and won his only Soviet title in 1958, while taking silvers at the 1954 and 1956 Soviet Championships, all over 50 kilometres. After finishing his sports career, Maskinskov worked as a race walking coach in Saransk, making it a leading race walking centre in the Soviet Union and later Russia, producing many world leading walkers.

Personal Best: 50kmW – 4-08:57 (1956).