Igor Zhelezovski
Igor Zhelezovski in 1994
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | Igor Nikolayevich Zhelezovski | |||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Bear from Minsk | |||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Belarusian | |||||||||||||||
| Born |
1 July 1963 Orša, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union |
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| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Weight | 95 kg (209 lb) | |||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||
| Country |
 Soviet Union Belarus
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| Sport | Speed skating | |||||||||||||||
| Club | SK VS Minsk | |||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 1982 | |||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1994 | |||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 500 m: 36.49 (1988) 1000 m: 1:12.58 (1989) 1500 m: 1:52.50 (1987) 3000 m: 4:12.85 (1988) 5000 m: 7:09.84 (1983) 10 000 m: 14:40.82 (1983) |
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Medal record
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Igor Nikolayevich Zhelezovski or Ihar Mikalayevich Zhalazoŭski (Russian: Игорь Николаевич Железовский; Belarusian: Ігар Мікалаевіч Жалязоўскі; born 1 July 1963) is a former speed skater, considered to be one of the best sprinters ever. His imposing physical appearance resulted in the nicknames "Igor the Terrible" and "The bear from Minsk". Originally competing for the Soviet Union, then for the Commonwealth of Independent States, and finally for Belarus, he became World Sprint Champion a record number of six times, a record still unequalled as of 2015[update]. In Soviet times, he trained at Armed Forces sports society in Minsk.
Igor Zhelezovski won silver at the World Junior Allround Championships in 1982. Specialising in the sprint, he became World Sprint Champion in 1985, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992 and 1993. He finished eighth in the 1987 edition, having just recovered from an illness, and decided to skip the 1988 edition in favour of preparing for the Winter Olympics in Calgary that same year. These, however, turned out to be a disappointment for him, finishing sixth on the 500 m, "only" third on his favourite 1000 m, and fourth on the 1500 m. The remaining two World Sprint Championships he participated in, in 1990 and 1994, he finished third and sixth, respectively.
His final two seasons, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Zhelezovski skated for Belarus. After ending his skating career in 1994, Zhelezovski became president of the skating union of Belarus, a position he held for several years.
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