Yuri KUTSENKO

A blacksmith at the Belgorod Factory of Metal Constructions (now JSC Energomash Belgorod), Yury Kutsenko took up athletics quite late, in 1973 when he was already 22-years-old. Initially a sprinter and long jumper, he took up decathlon in 1975. His best year was 1980, when he won his only Soviet title and was selected for the Soviet Olympic team. At the Olympics, Kutsenko won a silver medal behind the legendary Daley Thompson. Kutsenko also competed at the 1978 European Championships, where he was fifth and at the 1979 European Cup Combined Events where he was fourth individually and third with the Soviet team. At the Soviet Championships, besides his 1980 title, Kutsenko won silver in 1978 and bronzes in 1979 and 1984. Kutsenko retired from sports after the Soviet Union boycotted the 1984 Olympics and resumed his old job at the Belgorod Factory of Metal Constructions, working as a blacksmith and blacksmiths foreman until his retirement in 2005. He also worked as a children's coach in Belgorod.

Personal Best: Dec – 8519 (1984).