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The path which led to Gennadiy Avdeyenko winning the high jump gold
medal at the 1983 World Championships in Helsinki had all the features
of a fairy tale. Avdeyenko had started his career as triple jumper,
with a best of 15.57m achieved as a 16 year-old in 1980. However,
during that year, his national junior team needed a high jumper at a
meet, the young Gennadiy volunteered, and was an instant success. He
subsequently concentrated solely on the high jump, and by the end of
1982 had improved his personal best to 2.22m. In 1983, selection for
the Soviet team to the World Championships depended heavily on results
at the Spartakiad, where Avdeyenko only finshed tied for sixth place.
However, under controversial circumstances, he was included in the
Soviet team, through the influence of the Soviet coach, former long jump
world record holder, Igor Ter-Ovanesyan, who considered that Avdeyenko
showed tremendous potential for improvement. With a personal best of
2.28m prior to the World Championships, the 19 year-old Gennadiy faced
12 jumpers at Helsinki who had cleared 2.32m or better. With no respect
for reputations, Gennadiy proceeded to win the gold medal, improving
his personal best twice, first to 2.29m, and then clearing 2.32m on his
first attempt. Avdeyenko missed the opportunity to compete at the
Olympic Games in 1984 due to the boycott by the eastern bloc countries.
At the 1987 World Championships in Rome he raised his personal best by
3cm to 2.38m, finishing second behind Sweden's Patrik Sjoberg. At the
Seoul Olympic Games, on 28 September 1988, Avdeyenko again demonstrated
his ability as a big-meet performer by winning the gold medal with a
career best equalling jump of 2.38m (see photo above). He competed irregularly after that, and quickly faded into obscurity. (Ron Casey)
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