Vladimir Smirnov (fencer)

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Vladimir Viktorovich Smirnov

| image =Смирнов.jpg

| caption =Tombstone of Vladimir Smirnov on his grave

| birth_name = Влади́мир Ви́кторович Смирно́в

| fullname =

| nickname =

| nationality =

| residence =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1954|5|20|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Rubizhne, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union

| death_date = {{death date and age|1982|7|29|1954|5|20|df=yes}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/29/sports/soviet-fencer-dies-of-injuries.html|title=Soviet Fencer Dies of Injuries|date=July 29, 1982|work=The New York Times}}

| death_place = Rome, Italy

| height = 185 cm

| weight = 78 kg

| website =

| country =

| sport = Fencing

|event = Foil and épée

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's fencing}}

{{MedalCountry | {{URS}} }}

| show-medals = no

}}

Vladimir Viktorovich Smirnov ({{langx|ru|Влади́мир Ви́кторович Смирно́в}}, {{langx|uk|Володимир Вікторович Смирнов}}; 20 May 1954 – 29 July 1982) was a Soviet foil and épée fencer. He was the 1980 Olympic champion in men's foil, and the 1981 world champion in men's foil. He was killed accidentally in a bout during the 1982 World Fencing Championships in Rome, Italy.

Early life

Smirnov was born in Rubizhne, Ukrainian SSR, in the Soviet Union.

Fencing career

At the 1979 Summer Universiade in Ciudad de México Smirnov won a gold medal in foil team, and a silver medal in individual foil.{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/23606|title= Vladimir Smirnov|website=Olympedia}} At the 1981 Summer Universiade in București he won a gold medal in individual foil, and a silver medal in foil team.

At the 1977 World Fencing Championships in Buenos Aires he won a bronze medal in foil team, and at the 1978 World Fencing Championships in Hamburg Smirnov again won a bronze medal in foil team. At the 1979 World Fencing Championships in Melbourne he won a gold medal in foil team, and at the 1981 World Fencing Championships in Clermont-Ferrand he won gold medals in both individual foil and foil team. At the 1982 World Fencing Championships in Rome he was awarded the gold medal in foil team.

Smirnov won the gold medal in individual men's foil at the 1980 Summer Olympics, as well as a silver medal in foil team and a bronze medal in épée team.{{cite web|url=http://www.databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=SMIRNVLA02 |title=Olympics Statistics: Vladimir Viktorovich Smirnov |access-date=2011-04-25 |work=databaseolympics.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816042546/http://www.databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=SMIRNVLA02 |archive-date=2011-08-16}}{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sm/volodymyr-smyrnov-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417230803/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sm/volodymyr-smyrnov-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-17 |title=Vladimir Viktorovich Smirnov Olympic Results |access-date=2011-04-25 |work=sports-reference.com}}

Death

During the 1982 World Fencing Championships in Rome, Italy, in the team foil event the 28-year-old world champion Smirnov, ranked #1 in the world, was fencing 27-year-old Matthias Behr of West Germany, ranked #2 in the world, on 19 July in the quarter-finals of the team event.{{cite journal |first=Michael |last=Dittrich |journal=Journal of Olympic History |volume=25 |number=3 |publisher=International Society of Olympic Historians |issn=1085-5165 |page=41 |access-date=13 November 2023 |url=https://isoh.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/342.pdf |year=2017 |title=A tragic story and a wonderful reconciliation }}{{cite book |first=Richard |last=Cohen |year=2007 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=inND87EFFF4C&dq=Vladimir+Smirnov+%22fencer%22&pg=PA296 |title=By the Sword; A History of Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai, Swashbucklers, and Olympic Champions |pages=296–97 |publisher=Random House Publishing |isbn=9780307430748 }} The two fencers initiated a simultaneous attack. Behr's foil blade broke during the action, and the jagged broken blade penetrated through the mesh of Smirnov's fencing mask, through his left eye orbit, and into the frontal lobe of his brain.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/20/sports/sports-people-fencer-hurt-in-match.html|title=Sports People; Fencer Hurt in Match|date=July 20, 1982|work=The New York Times}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/07/21/Smirnov-champion-fencer-on-life-support/9108396072000/|title=Smirnov, champion fencer, on life support |website=UPI|date=July 21, 1982 |access-date=13 November 2023 }}{{cite book |first=Nick |last=Evangelista |year=1995 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TyJ8ebnS1HMC&dq=Vladimir+Smirnov+%22fencer%22&pg=PA163 |title=The Encyclopedia of the Sword |pages=163–64 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=9780313278969 }}

An Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic spokesman said "Smirnov's heart is still functioning, but other bodily functions are being maintained by artificial means." State-run television said he was "clinically dead". A later communique from the hospital said he was in a deep coma, was not responding to treatment, and had no brain reflexes.

Smirnov died nine days later. He was buried in Kyiv, where he had been living.

=Aftermath=

Smirnov's accident was the driving force behind the significant improvement of safety gear in fencing.{{Cite web|url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2012/06/27/2003536360 |agency=Reuters |title=London 2012 Olympics: Tragic death 30 years ago still makes fencing safer |work=Taipei Times |date=June 27, 2012 |access-date=13 November 2023 }}{{cite news |first=Daniel |last=Bases |date=June 25, 2012 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/oly-fenc-safety/olympics-fencing-safety-aided-by-death-in-the-family-idUSL5E8HN0DN20120626 |title=Olympics-Fencing safety aided by death in the family |work=Reuters }} For example, the use of maraging steel blades (less likely to break than the carbon steel ones of the day),{{Cite web|url=https://www.pressreader.com/india/the-free-press-journal/20160727/282282434662260|title=Remembering Vladimir Smirnov|website=The Free Press Journal|date=July 27, 2016}} kevlar (or other ballistic nylon) in the uniforms,{{Cite web|url=https://www.grunge.com/285751/the-tragic-death-of-olympic-fencer-vladimir-smirnov/|title=The Tragic Death Of Olympic Fencer Vladimir Smirnov|date=November 28, 2020|website=Grunge|author=Cody Copeland}} and masks two to three times stronger than the one he wore,{{citation needed|date=August 2021}} all came about because of his death. The improvements greatly decreased the number of severe injuries in fencing, making it one of the safest competitive sports in the world. A five-year study by Willamette University sports science professor Dr. Peter Harmer in 2005 found that fencing is especially safe for children and novices; that soccer was 14 times more dangerous than fencing, and basketball 10 times more dangerous, and that of the 22 sports examined in the study, fencing was tied with golf as having the lowest risk to competitors.

Forty years later, amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Behr called Smirnov's former wife in Ukraine, and gave her son-in-law and two grandchildren refuge during the war.{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2022/07/28/ukraine-invasion-unites-two-families-40-years-after-fencing-tragedy/7824582001/|title=A tragedy transformed: 40 years after fencing accident, Ukraine war reunites impacted families; Matthias Behr killed Emma Smirnova's first husband - Ukrainian Vladimir Smirnov - in a fencing accident in 1982. Now, Behr is giving Smirnova's son-in-law and two grandchildren refuge during the war.|website=USA TODAY|author=Josh Peter|date=July 28, 2022}}

References

External links

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyUGk1BCkOc "1980s Vladimir Smirnov Documentary, 'Duel,'"] explaining fencing, structured around the story of the leading fencer, Smirnov (video; in Russian).
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKL0r9cJmgw "Smirnov Fencing 1982 Part 1"], Smirnov taking a lesson, training for the 1982 Rome World Championships (video).

Category:1954 births

Category:1982 deaths

Category:Fencers at the 1980 Summer Olympics

Category:Fencers from Kyiv

Category:Medalists at the 1980 Summer Olympics

Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the Soviet Union

Category:Olympic fencers for the Soviet Union

Category:Olympic gold medalists for the Soviet Union

Category:Olympic medalists in fencing

Category:Olympic silver medalists for the Soviet Union

Category:People from Rubizhne

Category:Soviet male épée fencers