Leonid Spirin

Leonid Vasilyevich Spirin (Russian Леонид Васильевич Спирин; born June 21, 1932 in Schaworonki, Moscow Oblast, Russia, † 23 February 1982) was a Russian mountaineers and Olympic champion, who competed for the Soviet Union.

At the Olympic Games in 1956, 20 km Walk was held instead of the 10 km walking for the first time. Leonid Spirin won the competition in 1:31:27 hours before his teammates Antanas Mikenas ( 1:32:03 ) and Bruno Junk ( 1:32:12 ). Fourth was the Swede John Ljunggren ( 1:32:24 ) before the British Stan Vickers ( 1:32:34 ).

Two years later, Leonid Spirin won in 1:35:04 hours silver at the European Championships in 1958. Winning gold Vickers, who with 1:33:09 hours, however, had a clear lead after his immediate rival, Bruno junk and Dieter Lindner from East Germany shortly had been disqualified from the finish.