Oleksandr Apaychev

Oleksandr Apaychev
Medal record
Men’s athletics
Representing  Soviet Union
Goodwill Games
1986 Moscow Decathlon

Oleksandr Valentynovych Apaychev (Russian: Александр Валентинович Апайчев; Ukrainian: Олександр Валентинович Апайчев; born 6 May 1961)[1][2] is a former Soviet Ukrainian decathlete. His personal best score of 8709 points is the current Ukrainian record and ranks 16th on the world all-time list. He placed second at the 1986 Goodwill Games and competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics, but failed to finish due to a leg infection. In 2009 he was named as head coach of Ukraine's national athletics team.

Career

Apaychev scored his personal best, 8709 points, at the 1984 Soviet Union-East Germany dual meet in Neubrandenburg.[3] At the time, it was a Soviet record; as of 2014, it remains the Ukrainian national record and places him 16th on the world all-time list.[4] Apaychev couldn't compete at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles due to the Soviet-led boycott; instead, he took part in the Friendship Games in Moscow.[3] At the Friendship Games he was on good pace after the first day, but a poor showing in the seventh event, discus throw, killed his chances for a good result, and he eventually fell out of the medals.[3] Track & Field News ranked him fourth in the world that year, behind Olympic top two Daley Thompson and Jürgen Hingsen and Friendship Games gold medallist Grigoriy Degtyaryev.[5]

Apaychev's Achilles tendon was operated at the end of 1984 and he took some time to regain top shape.[3] In 1986 he placed fifth at the European Championships in Stuttgart and won silver at the Goodwill Games in Moscow.[1][3] He was in good shape in 1988 and was one of the favorites for the Summer Olympics in Seoul, but a leg infection spoiled his chances[3] and he gave up without finishing even the first event, 100 metres.[6] The infection effectively ended his career, as he took more than a year to recover; he attempted a comeback in 1990, but injured himself and retired from competition.[3]

Apaychev has remained active in the sport as a coach. Between 2001 and 2005 he served as a coach in Qatar, coaching among others Qatari decathlon record holder Ahmad Hassan Moussa.[7] In 2009 he was named as head coach of Ukraine's national team.[8]

Personal life

Apaychev is married to former athlete Tetyana Samolenko.[6][9]

References

  1. 1 2 Tilastopaja profile for Oleksandr Apaychev
  2. ↑ Oleksandr Apaychev profile at IAAF
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Александр АПАЙЧЕВ: "Тренер - это фокусник и гипнотизер" (in Russian). 31 May 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  4. ↑ Jalava, Mirko. "World Alltime Top 30". Tilastopaja. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "World Rankings — Men's Decathlon" (PDF). Track & Field News. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Oleksandr Apaichev Bio, Stats and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  7. ↑ Александр Апайчев: Если ученик верит тренеру, ни один психолог не нужен (in Russian). 15 June 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  8. ↑ Олександр Апайчев: «Почнемо із жорсткої дисципліни.» (in Ukrainian). Ukrainian Athletics Federation. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  9. ↑ Самоленко и Апайчев женились через 21 год после знакомства (in Russian). 15 April 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
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