List of flag bearers for the Soviet Union at the Olympics

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Soviet Union team at the opening ceremony of the 1952 Olympics, led by Yakov Kutsenko Soviet Union 1952 Olympic team.jpg
Soviet Union team at the opening ceremony of the 1952 Olympics, led by Yakov Kutsenko
Soviet Union at the
Olympics
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg
IOC code URS
NOC Soviet Olympic Committee
Medals
Gold
473
Silver
376
Bronze
355
Total
1,204
Summer appearances
Winter appearances
Other related appearances
Flag of Russia.svg  Russian Empire (1900–1912)
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia (1920–1936, 1992–)
Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia (1924–1936, 1992–)
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania (1924–1928, 1992–)
Olympic flag.svg  Unified Team (1992)
Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia (1994–)
Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus (1994–)
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia (1994–)
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  Kazakhstan (1994–)
Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg  Kyrgyzstan (1994–)
Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova (1994–)
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia (1994–2016)
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine (1994–)
Flag of Uzbekistan.svg  Uzbekistan (1994–)
Flag of Azerbaijan.svg  Azerbaijan (1996–)
Flag of Tajikistan.svg  Tajikistan (1996–)
Flag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan (1996–)
Olympic flag.svg  Olympic Athletes from Russia (2018)
Olympic flag.svg  ROC (2020–2022)

Flag bearers carry the national flag of their country at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. Soviet officials expected the flag bearer to show an example of an attractive, physically strong person and a distinguished athlete. He was expected to carry the flag through the Olympic ceremony in one hand unsupported by a harness. This presented a formidable physical task as the flag weighed 16 kilograms (35 lb) in the 1960s, and a sudden wind might further increase the physical load. Hence the Soviet flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics were selected from among heavyweight weightlifters or wrestlers, who did not have to compete the next day. [1]

Soviet officials also expected the flag bearer to win a gold medal at the given Olympics. This resulted in absurd situations at the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics, when the selected flag bearers, Yakov Kutsenko and Aleksey Medvedev respectively, were not allowed to compete because the officials did not believe they would win a gold medal. Both were top-level heavyweight weightlifters. Kutsenko placed second at the 1950 World Championships and Medvedev won the world title in 1956 and 1957. [1]

Below is a list of flag bearers who have represented the Soviet Union at the Olympics. [2]

#Event yearSeasonFlag bearerSport
18 1988 Summer Aleksandr Karelin Wrestling
17 1988 Winter Andrey Bukin Figure skating
16 1984 Winter Vladislav Tretyak Ice hockey
15 1980 Summer Nikolay Balboshin Wrestling
14 1980 Winter Alexander Tikhonov Biathlon
13 1976 Summer Vasily Alekseyev Weightlifting
12 1976 Winter Vladislav Tretyak Ice hockey
11 1972 Summer Aleksandr Medved Wrestling
10 1972 Winter Vyacheslav Vedenin Cross-country skiing
9 1968 Summer Leonid Zhabotinsky Weightlifting
8 1968 Winter Viktor Mamatov Biathlon
7 1964 Summer Yury Vlasov Weightlifting
6 1964 Winter Yevgeny Grishin Speed skating
5 1960 Summer Yury Vlasov Weightlifting
4 1960 Winter Nikolai Sologubov Ice hockey
3 1956 Summer Aleksey Medvedev Weightlifting
2 1956 Winter Oleg Goncharenko Speed skating
1 1952 Summer Yakov Kucenko Weightlifting

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Kochetkov, Aleksandr (8 August 2008) Флагманы сборной. newizv.ru
  2. Soviet Union. Olympics at Sport-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Accessed 25 October 2011.