Pyotr Bolotnikov

Pyotr Grigorevich Bolotnikov ( _ru. Пётр Григорьевич Болотников) (born March 8, 1930) is a former Soviet athlete, one of the world's best stayers of the early 1960sGreat Russian Encyclopedia (2005), Moscow: Bol'shaya Rossiyskaya enciklopediya Publisher, vol. 3, p. 731] , winner of 10,000 m at the 1960 Summer Olympics.

Born in Zinovkino, Krasnoslobodsky District, Mordovian ASSR (now Mordovia Republic), Pyotr Bolotnikov started athletics only at age 20, when he joined the Red Army. He trained at VSS Spartakcite book|title=All about Olympic Games.|author=Boris Khavin|publisher=Fizkultura i sport|edition = 2nd ed.|pages=p. 534|year=1979|location=Moscow|language=Russian] , coached by Grigory Nikiforov.

Bolotnikov won his first national championship title in 10,000 m in 1957, when he surprisingly beat the great Vladimir Kuts in a finishing straight by 0.2 seconds. He became the double Soviet champion in 5,000 m and 10,000 m from 1958 to 1962. He also won the national 10,000 m title in 1964 and national cross country title in 1958. In 1959 he became the Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR

Bolotnikov participated already at the 1956 Summer Olympics, but without any success. At the Rome Olympics in 1960, Bolotnikov controlled the 10,000 m race from the start to end, beating the main favourites Hans Grodotzki from East Germany and Murray Halberg from New Zealand by five seconds. On October 5 of that year, in Kiev, Bolotnikov lowered the 10,000 m world record by almost twelve seconds to 28:18.8.cite web|title=Athletics - World Record progression|work=International Olympic Committee|url=http://www.olympic.org/common/asp/download_report.asp?file=en_report_69.pdf&id=69|accessdate=January 3|accessyear=2007]

Just two weeks before the 1962 European Championships in Belgrade, on August 11, 1962 in Moscow, Bolotnikov lowered his own 10,000 m world record by 0.6 seconds to 28:18.2, thus becoming the main favourite at long distances at the Championships. He easily won the 10,000 m run, but was surprisingly beaten to third in 5,000 m.

After the unsuccessful 1964 Summer Olympics, Bolotnikov decided to retire from athletics in 1965. He received the Order of Lenin in 1960.

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