Rudolf Povarnitsyn

Rudolf Powarnizyn (Ukrainian Рудольф Поварніцин, English transcription Rudolf Povarnitsyn, . Born June 13, 1962 in Votkinsk ) is a former Ukrainian athlete who was starting for the Soviet Union successfully as a high jumper.

The hitherto unknown international athlete stunned the professional world when he became the first man jumped over a height 2.40 m on August 11, 1985 in Donetsk, while able to increase its personal best by a staggering 14 centimeters. It topped the previous world record of Chinese Zhu Jianhua an inch. However Powarnizyn was already replaced three weeks later by Igor Paklin who jumped 2.41 meters at the Universiade in Kobe, as a world record holder.

His most significant success achieved Powarnizyn by winning the bronze medal in the high jump at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. Behind the Soviet winner Hennadij Awdjejenko (2.38 m) jumped over to the Americans Hollis Conway, the Swede Patrik Sjöberg and Powarnizyn three athletes 2.36m. Conway finished in second place ahead of Sjöberg and Powarnizyn who shared third place due to the lower number of failed attempts.

1989 Powarnizyn Soviet champion in the high jump. He also won the bronze medal behind the Cuban Javier Sotomayor and Hollis Conway in the same year at the Universiade. At the World Athletics Championships 1991 in Tokyo Powarnizyn only reached the 13th place.

Rudolf Powarnizyn is 2.01 m tall and weighed in his playing days 75 kg. He was trained by Vladimir Kiba.