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Valeriy BORZOV

Valeriy Borzov - U.S.S.R. - Biography of his International athletics career.

Photo/Foto: George Herringshaw

Date: 20 July 1976

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    • DATE OF BIRTH
      Thursday, 20 October 1949
    • PLACE OF BIRTH
      Sambor
  • INTERNATIONAL
  • U.S.S.R.
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Valeriy BORZOV - U.S.S.R. - Biography of his International athletics career.

 

Valeriy Borzov began his athletics career at an early age. Initially, he specialised in the long jump recording a leap of 6.28m at the age of 14. He subsequently turned to sprinting, embarking on a career which would see him establish a remarkably consistent record of victories in international championships during the 1970s. He first came to international prominence when he won the 100m (10.4sec) and the 200m (21.0sec) at the European Junior Championships at Leipzig in 1968. A few weeks later, just before his nineteenth birthday, Borzov lowered his personal best in the 100m down to 10.2sec. During his career, Valeriy established an incredible record in the short sprint title at the European Indoor Championships. This commenced in 1969 at Belgrade, where Valeriy finished a close second behind Polish sprinter Zenon Nowosz over 50m, with both sprinters given the same time of 5.8sec.

 

Borzov's next major challenge was the 1969 European Championships held in Athens, and despite his burgeoning form, he had not been considered amongst the top chances for the 100m title earlier in the year, although his stocks rose sharply when he equalled the European record of 10.0sec when winning the national 100m title at Kiev on 18 August. In Athens, Borzov won his heat in 10.7sec, and then easily qualified for the final when he finished second in the first semi-final in 10.5sec. In the final, held on 17 September, Valeriy, drawn in lane eight, proved too good for his opponents, when he narrowly won the gold medal from Frenchman Alain Sarteur in a time of 10.4sec. In the 4 x 100m relay, Borzov won a second gold medal, when he anchored the Soviet Union team to a second place finish behind the French team which had been led out by Sarteur. (Ron Casey)

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                                  Sprint Golds at 1971 European Championships.


 

During 1969, Valeriy Borzov had emerged as one of the world's top sprinters, equalling the European 100m record of 10.0sec in August, and then winning the European title over that distance the following month. In the 1970 indoor season, Borzov won his first European indoor title, at Vienna, winning the 60m final from Zenon Nowosz (Poland) in 6.6sec, reversing the order in which these two athletes had finished in the previous year's championships. Borzov had a relatively quiet outdoor season during 1970, but early the following year, he successfully defended his European indoor 60m title at Sofia, where he recorded a winning time of 6.6sec. As his career blossomed, Borzov increasingly contested the 200m as well as the shorter sprint distances, and his ability to master this new event was proven with devastating effect during the 1971 outdoor season.

 

At the Soviet Union national championships in Kiev, on 18 July, Borzov established a new European record of 20.2sec when he won the 200m title. He also won the 100m title in 10.1sec, and ran the anchor leg on the Ukrainian 4 x 100m relay which won in 39.2sec, one of the fastest times of the year, and only bettered by non-European teams. A month before the national championships, on 21 June, Borzov had again equalled the European 100m record of 10.0sec at Kiev, and with this form behind him, he not unnaturally became an overwhelming favourite to win the sprint double at the European Championships in Helsinki. Valeriy lived up to expectations in Helsinki, first winning the 100m in 10.3sec, and then after easily qualifying for the 200m final on 12 August, he easily won that title as well in 20.3sec the following day. He chose not to compete in the 4 x 100m relay, where the Soviet Union finished fifth.

 

                                         Sprint double at 1972 Olympic Games.


During 1971, Valeriy Borzov proved emphatically that he was the best sprinter in Europe, having won the 60m at the European indoor championships, and both the 100m and 200m at the European Championships in Helsinki by wide margins. As Borzov entered the Olympic year of 1972, he now had the opportunity of extending his superiority over the remainder of the world's sprinters. In March, at Grenoble, he won his third consecutive European indoor short sprint title, on this occasion over 50m, in 5.75sec. The 100m at the 1972 Olympic Games was unfortunately shrouded with controversy, when USA sprinters Eddie Hart and Rey Robinson, who had both equalled the world record of 9.9sec at the USA trials, failed to report for the start of their second round heats on 31 August, following confusion over the starting times. Less widely known, is that Borzov was also misinformed about the starting times, and had dozed off inside the stadium, only to awake as his heat was being called. Unfazed, Valeriy won the race easily, easing down before the finish in an astonishing time of 10.07sec, the fastest electronically timed 100m of his career. There was no doubt of who was now the clear favourite to win the final, and the next day Borzov duly won his first Olympic gold medal in 10.14sec. In the final of the 200m on 4 September, Larry Black (USA) made a valiant attempt to stay with Borzov until 135 metres, after which Borzov powered away to easily win his second gold medal in a lifetime best time of 20.00sec. Borzov added to his medal haul when he anchored the Soviet Union team to a second place finish behind the USA in the 4 x 100m relay. (Ron Casey)

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                                         Sprint double at 1972 Olympic Games.



During 1971, Valeriy Borzov proved emphatically that he was the best sprinter in Europe, having won the 60m at the European indoor championships, and both the 100m and 200m at the European Championships in Helsinki by wide margins. As Borzov entered the Olympic year of 1972, he now had the opportunity of extending his superiority over the remainder of the world's sprinters. In March, at Grenoble, he won his third consecutive European indoor short sprint title, on this occasion over 50m, in 5.75sec. The 100m at the 1972 Olympic Games was unfortunately shrouded with controversy, when USA sprinters Eddie Hart and Rey Robinson, who had both equalled the world record of 9.9sec at the USA trials, failed to report for the start of their second round heats on 31 August, following confusion over the starting times. Less widely known, is that Borzov was also misinformed about the starting times, and had dozed off inside the stadium, only to awake as his heat was being called. Unfazed, Valeriy won the race easily, easing down before the finish in an astonishing time of 10.07sec, the fastest electronically timed 100m of his career. There was no doubt of who was now the clear favourite to win the final, and the next day Borzov duly won his first Olympic gold medal in 10.14sec. In the final of the 200m on 4 September, Larry Black (USA) made a valiant attempt to stay with Borzov until 135 metres, after which Borzov powered away to easily win his second gold medal in a lifetime best time of 20.00sec. Borzov added to his medal haul when he anchored the Soviet Union team to a second place finish behind the USA in the 4 x 100m relay. (Ron Casey)

                                      

                              More gold medals at a European Championship.


After winning gold medals in both the 100m and 200m at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Valeriy Borzov had a comparatively quiet year in 1973. For the first time in five years he missed the European indoor championships, and at the Soviet national championships held at Moscow in July, he chose to only compete in the 200m, which he duly won in 20.6sec. Borzov sustained an injury later that month, which put him out of action for the remainder of the season. This setback didn't appear to seriously affect Valeriy's performances the following year, when he won his fourth European indoor short sprint title over 60m at Gothenburg in 6.58sec. Although Borzov stated that 'I'm far from my best shape' at the Soviet national championships in July, he still managed to easily win both the 100m and 200m titles.

 

At the European Championships held in Rome, Borzov chose not to defend his 200m title, and instead channelled all his energies into the retention of his 100m crown. Valeriy easily won his heat and semi-final, and then in the final on 3 September, he scored a decisive victory in 10.27sec to claim his third consecutive European 100m title. In March 1975, Borzov retained his European indoor 60m title, and then on 4 July, at the Soviet Union v USA international match in Kiev, he won the 100m in 10.0sec, to once again equal the hand-timed European record, and also anchored the Soviet Union to a 38.7sec win in the 4 x 100m relay. The following week, Borzov attended the European Cup semi-final at Crystal Palace, but only in a supporting role as he did not compete. Borzov dropped this observer's role in the European Cup final at Edinburgh in August, where he won the 100m and came second in the 200m. (Ron Casey)


 

                                Two Olympic bronze medals at 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.

 

By the start of 1976, Valeriy Borzov's career had definitely passed the zenith it had reached at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, but Borzov still maintained sufficient competitive edge, to be seriously considered as a realistic contender to become the first man to win consecutive Olympic 100m titles later that year in Montreal. In February, at Munich, Borzov won his sixth European indoor short sprint title, over 60m in 6.58sec. In the 100m final at the Olympic Games in Montreal, Valeriy was never a contender for the gold medal, but he finished strongly to gain the bronze medal in 10.14sec. Borzov had entered for the 200m event at Montreal, but decided after the 100m final to withdraw from that event to preserve his energies for the 4 x 100m relay. In the relay final, held on 31 July, Borzov ran the final leg  for the Soviet Union team which won the bronze medal in a time of 38.78sec. Early the following year, Borzov won his final European indoor short sprint title over 60m at San Sebastian, which gave him an unequalled record of seven gold medals and one silver from the eight European indoor titles he contested during his career. Later that year, Valeriy finished third in the 100m at the European Cup final in Helsinki, with a time of 10.33sec. By 1978, it was obvious that Borzov's great career was coming to an end, and his fastest time over 100m in 1978 of 10.45sec, only just placed him within the year's top 100 performers. Nevertheless, at the European Championships held that year in Prague, Borzov attempted to win an unprecedented fourth European 100m title. Unfortunately his last appearance in a major international championship produced a disappointing end to his great career, as he finished last in the final. (Ron Casey)

 

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