Vladimir Ponomaryov (runner)

{{MedalTableTop|sport= Men's athletics|country_code=URS|medals=

{{Medal|Competition|IAAF World Cup}}

{{Medal|Silver|1979 Montreal|1500 m}}

{{Medal|Competition|European Indoor Championships}}

{{Medal|Bronze|1975 Katowice|800 m}}

}}

Vladimir Ponomaryov ({{langx|ru|Владимир Иванович Пономарёв}}; born 10 August 1952) is a Russian former Soviet middle-distance runner. He represented his country at the 1976 Summer Olympics and was a seven-time Soviet national champion, four times outdoors.

Born in Razvilnoye in Rostov Oblast, he was a member of the Rostov-on-Don athletic club during his career.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417190725/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/po/vladimir-ponomaryov-1.html Vladimir Ponomaryov]. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2017-03-11. He came to national prominence with a 1000 metres win at the 1973 Soviet Indoor Athletics Championships.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/nc/ursi.htm Soviet Indoor Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2017-03-11. He went on to compete at the 1974 European Athletics Championships, where he narrowly missed a medal in fourth behind Finland's Markku Taskinen.{{Citation

| title = European Athletics Championships Zürich 2014 - STATISTICS HANDBOOK

| url = http://www.european-athletics.org/mm/Document/EventsMeetings/General/01/27/31/44/StatisticsHandbookZ%C3%BCrich2014_Neutral.pdf

| pages = 420–427

| publisher = European Athletics Association

| accessdate = 13 August 2014

}}

International success came in 1975 with bronze medals at the 1975 European Athletics Indoor Championships and the 1975 European Cup.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/epm.htm European Cup (Men)]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2017-03-11.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/ei.htm European Indoor Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2017-03-11. He also reached the pinnacle of the sport at national level with an 800 m win at the 1975 Soviet Spartakiad.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/nc/urs.htm Soviet Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2017-03-11. After a third-place finish over 800 metres at the Soviet Athletics Championships,Лёгкая атлетика. Справочник / Составитель Р. В. Орлов. — М.: «Физкультура и спорт», 1983. — 392 с. he was selected to represent the Soviet Union at the 1976 Summer Olympics. He competed in the 800 m and 4 × 400 metres relay heats only.

Ponomaryov was dominant nationally in 1977, taking the 800 m indoor title and an 800/1500 metres double at the Soviet Championships. He was absent in the 1978 season but returned the following year to win his last national titles over 1500 m at the Soviet Indoor Championships and Spartakiad. In his last major international outing, he took his highest honour – a 1500 m silver medal at the 1979 IAAF World Cup behind West Germany's Thomas Wessinghage.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/wp.htm IAAF World Cup]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2017-03-11. He set a lifetime best of 3:37.9 minutes for the event that same year.