Boris Onishchenko

Borys Hryhorowytsch Onyschtschenko (Ukrainian Борис Григорович Онищенко, Russian Борис Григорьевич Онищенко / Boris Grigoryevich Onishchenko, born September 19, 1937 in Beresnjaky, Poltava Oblast, Ukrainian SSR ) is a retired Ukrainian- Soviet modern pentathlete. Although he won in 1972 with the team's Olympic champion and at the same games in the singles, as well as four years earlier with the team, silver, he became famous in 1976 when he manipulated his fencing weapon in the Olympic Modern Pentathlon Competition and was disqualified.

Onyschtschenko was a member of the Soviet army and participated at the Summer Games in 1968 for the first time participate in the Olympic games. In individual competition, he just missed the medals in fifth place, but with the team he managed second place and won his first silver medal.

A year later he was with the team for the first time world champion, he could repeat in 1973 and 1974. He was also in 1969 Vice World Champion in the individual standings. In 1970 he was runner-up with the team. But his best year should be 1971, when he became world champion in the individual competition. At the Olympics 1972 he went as one of the favorites at the start. With the team he won the contest in the individual competition he finished second.

At the Olympic Games in Montreal in 1976, he went again as one of the favorites in the competition. After jumping the USSR was on a fourth place behind the British team. Since Onyschtschenko was considered the best fencer in the field of participants, the British made little hope to live after the meeting on. First, he met the country specialists Adrian Parker, who complained that the hit display struck without any contact. Jeremy Fox, captain of the British, watching the duel, and noticed that the light hits the automatic system, despite a faulty gait by almost 20 cm, lit up. After a complaint by the British turned out that the sword Onyschtschenkos was manipulated such that it could close the circuit arbitrarily hit by a small knob on the weapon. As a result Onyschtschenko was disqualified. The Soviet team thus lost their seemingly secure team gold medal. The fate Onyschtschenkos there was wild speculation. After the British Guardian report Onyschtschenko has been flown back during the current competition in the Soviet Union. After his return he was reportedly summoned to party leader Leonid Brezhnev, who had kept him a lecture. In addition, he had been dishonorably discharged from the Red Army. In addition, it should all sporting awards have been withdrawn and he would have had to pay a fine of 5,000 rubles. Following this, he should have his livelihood denied for a while as a taxi driver in his hometown of Kiev. It is true that he ended his athletic career. According to some in the related sports reports, he should already have been rehabilitated several months after this incident, and have started work within the Soviet army. After a career in the Kyiv Sports Management, he now lives as a pensioner in Kiev .. The British pentathlete Jeremy Fox, who uncovered the scandal, should the fate Onyschtschenkos, a longtime athletic companions of the Englishman, still have a loaded during the Olympic competition in 1976, with a negative impact on his performance in the following disciplines. Nevertheless, the British team, favored by the departure of the Soviets, but even more so by the extraordinary mileage Adrian Parker was on the last day of the contest win the Olympic team gold medal.