Leonid Taranenko
Taranenko (center) at the award ceremony in Moscow 1980
Leonid Taranenko (Russian Леонид Аркадьевич Тараненко; born June 13, 1956 in Malaryta, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union ) is a former Soviet- Belarusian weightlifter and record holder in pushing 266 kg and in a duel with 475 kg.
Sporting career
His first big success came Taranenko at the Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980 when he won in class up to 110 kg, with a duel income of 422.5 kg gold. In the same year he also won the European and World Championships.
Participation in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and thus a possible second Olympic gold were denied due to the Soviet Olympic boycott in 1984. Taranenko won at the Games of Friendship, the Soviet replacement games, the class to 110 kg, with a tackle world record of 442.5 kg, which he surpassed the Olympic champion of the same year, Norberto Obernburger 52.5 kg.
After this period, Taranenko, despite its actually too small height in the super heavyweight ( 110 kg). On November 26, 1988, he presented in Canberra with a competition weight of 140 kg to an undefeated record today of 266 kg in the jerk and 475 kg in the total. While these world records are no longer valid due to the restructuring of the weight classes, but they remain to this day the most serious brought to high-range loads.
In 1992 Taranenko, at the age of 36 years, for the Commonwealth of Independent States at the Olympics in Barcelona and won silver in the super heavyweight with a duel result of 425 kg.
1996 won the now 40 -year-old Taranenko for the fourth time the European Championship and was actually planning to participate in the Olympic Games in Atlanta. However, his age and the numerous injuries prevented his third Olympic participation.
To Taranenkos other titles include the title at the 1990 World Cup and the European Championships in 1988 and 1991.
Career as a coach
After his playing days Taranenko trained, among others, the Indian women's national weightlifting. Under his direction, Karnam Malleswari won bronze at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. In August 2004, however, he was dismissed after two of his athletes doping has been demonstrated.
Personal best
- Tear: 210.0 kg in Canberra on 26 November 1988.
- Launched: 266.0 kg in Canberra on 26 November 1988.
- Duel: 475.0 kg in Canberra on 26 November 1988.