Viktor Klimenko (gymnast)

Viktor Yakovlevich Klimenko (Russian Виктор Яковлевич Клименко; born February 25, 1949 in Moscow ) is a former Russian gymnast. He won at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich gold on pommel horse.

Career

At the Olympic Games in 1968, he was with the Soviet team second behind the Japanese team. On parallel bars, he won the bronze medal. At the World Championships 1970 he won silver in the horse jump and bronze on pommel horse. At the 1972 Summer Olympics he won the pommel horse and won silver in the team and in the horse jump.

1971 and 1973 Klimenko was European Champion in the all around. He also won the 1969 horse jump and high bar and parallel bars in 1973 and on the rings

After the career

The native Russian came many years ago from Moscow to Germany, where he worked as a top trainer in Niederwörresbach ( Rheinland - Pfalz) at the State Training Centre for gymnastics as a coach. There, he trained with his wife Larissa Petrik and his eldest son Viktor Klimenko many young girls and boys.

His wife is usually responsible for choreographic things, such as for the compilation of soil and balance beam exercises, his son takes over most of the smallest girls and boys. Viktor Klimenko itself is responsible for the uneven bars, jump and difficult elements to other equipment. Among other things, he trains his youngest son Vladimir Klimenko.

A few years ago married his eldest son, a Russian ballet dancer and he became a grandfather.