Vladimir Smirnov (fencer)

Vladimir Viktorovich Smirnov (Russian: Владимир Викторович Смирнов, scientific transliteration Vladimir Smirnov Viktorovič; born May 20, 1954 in Rubischne, Luhansk Oblast, USSR; † July 27, 1982 in Rome) was a Soviet fencer, Olympic gold medalist and three -time world champion.

Achievements

1977 Smirnov won at the World Championships in Buenos Aires bronze in the foil team, as in 1978 at the World Championships in Hamburg. In 1979 he was World Champion team in Melbourne. At the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, Smirnov Olympic champion in foil competition and also won the Soviet foil team a silver medal, as well as with the epee team a bronze medal. A year later he was in Clermont-Ferrand world champion in both the individual as well as with the team.

Death

During the World Fencing Championships 1982 in Rome Smirnov met on 19 July to the German fencer Matthias Behr. During the fight broke Behrs blade and stabbed by Smirnov's mask by his eye to the brain. Smirnov died eight days later in a hospital in Rome.

The circumstances of his death brought about stricter standards of the FIE in relation to the protection of the fencers. For the blades maraging steels have been required instead of carbon-containing alloys have been used, the masks were considerably more stable. The clothing must exist since Dyneema or other barriers nylon fibers.