Valeriy Nikolayevich Brumel (; 14 April 1942 – 26 January 2003)Great Russian Encyclopedia (2006), Moscow: Bol'shaya Rossiyskaya Enciklopediya Publisher, vol. 4, p. 243 was a Soviet-Russian high jumper. The 1964 Olympic champion and multiple world record holder, he is regarded as one of the greatest athletes ever to compete in the high jump. His international career was ended by a motorcycle crash in 1965.
Early life and education Brumel was born in a far eastern Siberian village to a family of geologists exploring the region. His father was of German descent. They later moved to Luhansk and taught at a local university.
Athletic career Brumel took up the high jump at age 12 in Lugansk, coached by P. S. Shtein. Aged 16 he cleared using the then dominant straight-leg straddle technique. He improved his skills under the coaching of V. M. Dyachkov in Moscow. In 1960 he broke the USSR record, , and was selected for the Olympic team. At the 1960 Summer Olympics, he cleared the same height as the winner Robert Shavlakadze, but made more attempts and thus was awarded a silver medal.
In 1961–1963 he broke his own world record in the high jump six times, improving it from to . He also won the high jump at the 1961 and 1963 Universiade, 1962 European Championships, the USSR Championships of 1961–1963, and the 1964 Summer Olympics.
After going undefeated during the 1965 season, Brumel suffered a multiple fracture in his right foot in a motorcycle crash, and faced an amputation. He was operated on successfully by professor Gavriil Ilizarov with a new leg-lengthening procedure using his external fixator. Yet even after 29 surgeries, he could not fully recover. He retired in 1970 after jumping at local competitions.
Retirement from athletics In retirement Brumel turned to acting and writing. He starred in the film Sport, Sport, Sport (1970) and wrote the script for Pravo na pryzhok (The Right to Jump, 1973). He also wrote numerous novels and plays, including the novel Don't Change Yourself (1979), which was translated into seven languages, and the libretto to Rauf Hajiyev's operetta Golden Caravel (Золотая каравелла).
Personal life Brumel had two brothers, Oleg (1944–2005) and Igor, a Russian politician born in 1952 in Rostov.Брумель Игорь Николаевич, депутат Совета депутатов Замоскворечья. zamos.ru Brumel was married three times. His first wife, Marina, was a gymnastics instructor.United Press International. 31 October 1963 She left him with a son in 1965, when Brumel was recovering from his motorcycle crash. In 1973 Brumel married Yelena Petushkova, an equestrian and 1972 Olympic champion in dressage. The couple divorced 18 months later, citing irreconcilable differences. They had a daughter, Vlada Petushkova, born in 1974, who was raised by her mother.Valiev, Boris (3 March 2007) «Конь – на скаку и птица – влет... По чьей вине?». Сопротивляясь страшной болезни, Елена Петушкова до последних дней мечтала вернуться к работе. sovsport.ru In 1992 Brumel married Svetlana Belousova, who later founded and managed the Valeriy Brumel Fund. They had a son Viktor.Брумель Валерий Николаевич. Биографическая справка. rsport.ru. 14 May 2012Geguchadze, Aleksandr (15 June 2007) Высота Валерия Брумеля. rg.ru
References
External links
Valeri Brumel. IMDb High Jump legend Brumel, dies after long illness. IAAF. 26 January 2003. Retrieved on 14 January 2011. IAAF Mourns Loss of Legendary High Jumper. IAAF. 28 January 2003. Retrieved on 14 January 2011. Frank Litsky, Valery Brumel Is Dead at 60; Russian Set High-Jump Marks. NYT 28 January 2003. Retrieved on 26 January 2014.