Vasily Alekseyev

Soviet weightlifter Vasily Alekseyev is usually considered the greatest super-heavyweight lifter in history. Alekseyev was unbeaten from 1970 to 1978, including winning gold medals at the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games. Alekseyev won eight successive gold medals at the Olympic Games and World Championships (1970-1977), which equaled the record of Americans John Davis and Tommy Kono. He also won eight European titles. His world records included 17 in the press, four in the snatch, 32 in the clean & jerk, and 27 in the total lift. He once stated that his goal was to set 100 world records and he approached that mark with 80 world records. Alekseyev received bonuses for each world record and he craftily broke each record by the smallest of margins, making it easier for him to break the record again in the future. He was finally defeated at the 1978 World Championships when he competed while injured. Although he competed at the 1980 Olympic Games, he failed to make a successful lift in the snatch and then retired from competition. He was married to a woman aptly named Olympiada.