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Valeriy Brumel

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Athlete

The Resume

    (April 14, 1942-January 26, 2003)
    Born in Razvedki, Russia
    High jumper
    Won silver (1960) and gold (1964) Olympic medals
    Broke the world high jump record six times (1961-63)
    Best height of 2.28 meters (7'6) remained the world record until November 8, 1970

Why he might be annoying:

    He went for a motorcycle ride on a rain-slicked night (October 4, 1965), crashed, suffered multiple fractures in his right foot and was never able to reach his pre-crash heights.
    By the time he formally retired, the straight-leg straddle technique he specialized in was being rendered obsolete by the Fosbury flop.
    His second marriage, to gold-medal winning equestrian Yelena Petushkova, lasted 18 months before breaking up over 'irreconcilable differences.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    He combined strength (at 16, he could press more than his body weight) with speed (he could run the 100 meter dash in under 11 seconds).
    In his prime, he could jump from a standing position high enough to kick a basketball basket at standard height.
    At 18, he became the youngest medalist in the high jump (1960).
    He was able to avoid having his right foot amputated, but he required 29 operations.
    Although he was unable to match his pre-cash heights when he returned to competition, he noted, 'Nowadays, every centimeter is a victory for me.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying