- Viktor Kosichkin
Viktor Ivanovich Kosichkin ( _ru. Виктор Иванович Косичкин) (born
25 February 1938 inMoshky ,Russia ) is a former speed skater who competed for theSoviet Union .Viktor Kosichkin trained at Dynamo. He participated in the
1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley. On the 5,000 m, held on his 22nd birthday, he gave himself a great birthday gift by winning gold, while the silver medal went to his major rival,Knut Johannesen . On the 10,000 m two days later, the roles were reversed, with Johannesen winning gold and Kosichkin silver.The next year (1961), Kosichkin became Soviet and European Allround Champion, while winning silver at the World Allround Championships (behind van der Grift). In 1962, he was not selected to be on the Soviet team for the European Championships and he damaged his skates in anger. His friend
Yevgeny Grishin gave him an old pair of skates and Kosichkin became World Champion on these.1963 was not a good year for Kosichkin, winning no major medals and finishing only 15th at the Soviet Allround Championships. In 1964, he once more won silver behind Johannesen at the World Allround Championships. He also participated in the 5,000 m and the 10,000 m at the
1964 Winter Olympics ofInnsbruck , but he did not win any medals.He was Soviet Champion on the 5,000 m in 1958, 1960, 1961, and 1962, and on the 10,000 m in 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, and 1965. Kosichkin's highest ranking on the
Adelskalender , the all-time allround speed skating ranking, was a third place.Medals
An overview of medals won by Kosichkin at important championships, listing the years in which he won each:
External links
* [http://www.skateresults.com/skater/show/558 Viktor Kosichkin at SkateResults.com]
* [http://akter.kulichki.net/sport/skating/kosichkin.htm Legends of Soviet Sport: Viktor Kosichkin]
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