Eduard GUSHCHIN

Siberian Eduard Gushchin was noticed by Soviet sports officials in 1961, when he finished fourth in a tournament in Moscow, after which he moved to Moscow and started to train under Oto Grigalka. In 1966, Gushchin set his first Soviet record, and he would set three more Soviet records, two in 1967 and one in 1968, in Mexico City, just ten days before the Olympic Games, when he became to first Soviet shot putter to break 20 metres. Gushchin also set two European records, 19.64, set in 1967 and 20.28, set in 1968. Gushchin won silver at the 1967 European Indoor Championships and bronze at the 1968 Olympics, becoming the first Soviet male athlete to win an Olympic medal in the shot put. He also competed at the 1969 European Championships and 1968 and 1970 European Indoor Championships, but with less success. Gushchin was twice a Soviet champion in the shot put (1968, 1970) and won the shot put at the Znamensky Memorial, in the USSR-GDR match, the USSR-Poland match, and the USSR-France match (all in 1967), and in 1970 at the USSR-GDR-Poland dual.

After finishing his sporting career in 1973, Gushchin worked as a sports administrator and later as a manual therapist. From 1973-87, Gushchin worked with the Russian SFSR committee of sports and physical education, first as the deputy and later as head of the track & field department. After the fall of Soviet Union, Gushchin started his own manual therapy practice in Moscow.

Personal Best: SP – 20.28 (1968).