List of flag bearers for the Soviet Union at the Olympics information
Sporting event delegation
Soviet Union at the Olympics
Flag of the Soviet Union
IOC code
URS
NOC
Soviet Olympic Committee
Medals
Gold
473
Silver
376
Bronze
355
Total
1,204
Summer appearances
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
Winter appearances
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
Other related appearances
Russian Empire (1900–1912) Estonia (1920–1936, 1992–) Latvia (1924–1936, 1992–) Lithuania (1924–1928, 1992–) Unified Team (1992) Armenia (1994–) Belarus (1994–) Georgia (1994–) Kazakhstan (1994–) Kyrgyzstan (1994–) Moldova (1994–) Russia (1994–2016) Ukraine (1994–) Uzbekistan (1994–) Azerbaijan (1996–) Tajikistan (1996–) Turkmenistan (1996–) Olympic Athletes from Russia (2018) ROC (2020–2022)
Flag bearers carry the national flag of their country at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. Soviet officials expected the flag bearer to show an example of an attractive, physically strong person and a distinguished athlete. He was expected to carry the flag through the Olympic ceremony in one hand unsupported by a harness. This presented a formidable physical task as the flag weighed 16 kilograms (35 lb) in the 1960s, and a sudden wind might further increase the physical load. Hence the Soviet flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics were selected from among heavyweight weightlifters or wrestlers, who did not have to compete the next day.[1]
Soviet officials also expected the flag bearer to win a gold medal at the given Olympics. This resulted in absurd situations at the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics, when the selected flag bearers, Yakov Kutsenko and Aleksey Medvedev respectively, were not allowed to compete because the officials did not believe they would win a gold medal. Both were top-level heavyweight weightlifters. Kutsenko placed second at the 1950 World Championships and Medvedev won the world title in 1956 and 1957.[1]
Below is a list of flag bearers who have represented the Soviet Union at the Olympics.[2]
#
Event year
Season
Flag bearer
Sport
18
1988
Summer
Aleksandr Karelin
Wrestling
17
1988
Winter
Andrey Bukin
Figure skating
16
1984
Winter
Vladislav Tretyak
Ice hockey
15
1980
Summer
Nikolay Balboshin
Wrestling
14
1980
Winter
Alexander Tikhonov
Biathlon
13
1976
Summer
Vasily Alekseyev
Weightlifting
12
1976
Winter
Vladislav Tretyak
Ice hockey
11
1972
Summer
Aleksandr Medved
Wrestling
10
1972
Winter
Vyacheslav Vedenin
Cross-country skiing
9
1968
Summer
Leonid Zhabotinsky
Weightlifting
8
1968
Winter
Viktor Mamatov
Biathlon
7
1964
Summer
Yury Vlasov
Weightlifting
6
1964
Winter
Yevgeny Grishin
Speed skating
5
1960
Summer
Yury Vlasov
Weightlifting
4
1960
Winter
Nikolai Sologubov
Ice hockey
3
1956
Summer
Aleksey Medvedev
Weightlifting
2
1956
Winter
Oleg Goncharenko
Speed skating
1
1952
Summer
Yakov Kucenko
Weightlifting
^ abKochetkov, Aleksandr (8 August 2008) Флагманы сборной. newizv.ru
^Soviet Union. Olympics at Sport-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Accessed 25 October 2011.
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