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| Personal information | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 27 July 1940 | |||||||||||
| Died | 14 March 2011 (aged 70) | |||||||||||
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | |||||||||||
| Weight | 126 kg (278 lb) | |||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||
Event | Shot put | |||||||||||
| Club | TrudMoscow Oblast | |||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||
| Personalbest | 20.28 m (1968) | |||||||||||
Medal record
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Eduard Viktorovich Gushchin (Russian:Эдуард Викторович Гущин; 27 July 1940 – 14 March 2011[1]) was aSoviet athlete who competed mainly in theshot put. His career was highlighted by an Olympic bronze medal in 1968 and he was also a two-time national champion. He was noted for wearing dark-rimmed spectacles.[2]
Gushchin was born inKrasnoyarsk Krai, but later moved toMoscow Oblast,[3] gaining honours as aMaster of Sports of the USSR, International Class.[1] He made his international debut for the Soviet Union in 1965 at that year'sSummer Universiade and he was thebronze medallist in the shot put, an event which was won by 1964 Olympic runner-upRandy Matson.[4] He threw 18.23 m in the qualifying rounds of the1966 European Athletics Championships, but did not perform as well in the final, ending the competition in 12th place.[2] The following year he competed at the1967 European Indoor Games and claimed thesilver medal with a throw of 18.96 m, losing to the reigning USSR championNikolay Karasyov.[5]
Gushchi reached the peak of his career in 1968, beginning with a national shot put title outdoors with a put of 19.60 m.[6] This brought him selection for the event at the1968 Summer Olympics inMexico City. At the competition he broke the Soviet record with his first throw in the final, recording 20.09 m to become the first Soviet man to clear the twenty metre mark. This feat brought him the Olympic bronze medal behind Americans Matson andGeorge Woods. He could not repeat this performance later, managing only sixth place at the1969 European Athletics Championships.[2] He took a second Soviet shot put national title in 1970.[6]
In retirement Gushchi worked in theathletics department of theUSSR Sports Committee and also as aphysiotherapist. He died on 14 March 2011 inMoscow at the age of 70.[2]
