Yuri Vlasov – legend of sport

Yuri Vlasov is a unique person. He is a military engineer, World Record holder and Olympic champion, writer and historian, politician. By the way, he is one of the greatest heroes in the history of the planet. Real Russian bogatyr, who was able to set 31 World Records during his career.
The boy was born on December 5, 1935 in Makeyevka, Donetsk region.
About his father Peter, who had reached a rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USSR, Vlasov wrote in his book Special Region of China. Thanks to his father Yuri is fluent in Chinese. The boy was interested in reading and wanted to become a diplomat, like his father.
Vlasov studied at the Saratov Suvorov Military School, and was good at skiing and ice skating.
In 1953, after school Yuri left Saratov and entered the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy in Moscow. There he became interested in weightlifting. Vlasov began to train hard.

In 1957, Yuri set his first record. And in August, he was awarded the title of Master of Sports by the legendary Marshal Semyon Budyonny. In the same year, Vlasov met his future wife Natalia Modorova.
At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome Vlasov beat world records three times and was proclaimed the Strongest Man on the Planet.
Four years later, at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Yuri won silver and retired from the Olympic Team. Russian athlete Leonid Zhabotinsky became the first with a difference of 2.5 kg.

Strong Yury Vlasov

In 1967 Vlasov set his last World Record in the bench press – 199 kg. A year later, in 1968, Vlasov retired from sport and military service.
During his sports career the sportsman set 41 Soviet Union records and 31 World Records. Besides, he won 4 World Championships and 6 European Championships. Vlasov was named the best athlete of the country, year, and the twentieth century.
Later he became a writer and a politician.
Actually, Vlasov has written several books: Overcoming Yourself, Salty Joys, Flaming Cross, Rus’ Without a Leader, and others. In 2006 he published the book Red Jacks. This is a story about young men who were brought up and grew up during the Patriotic War.
In 1993, he was elected to the State Duma of the Russian Federation.
At the age of 69 Vlasov was able to lift 185 kg.
What is more, Vlasov was the idol of sport for Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Source: federacia.ru/encyclopaedia/bomonde/vlasov/