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Vasiliy Alekseyev

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Athlete

The Resume

    (January 7, 1942-November 25, 2011)
    Born in Pokrovo-Shishkino, Russian Federation
    Russian weightlifter
    Broke 80 world records in his career and won two Olympic gold medals; one each in 1972 and 1976
    Six foot one and usually competed at around 350 pounds
    Personal bests: Snatch 190 kg, Clean and Jerk 256 kg, Total 445 kg

Why he might be annoying:

    Like all Soviet athletes, he was paid to compete and so had a big advantage over western athletes who had to support themselves.
    He was grotesquely overweight.
    He deliberately broke records by small margins so it would be easier to break the new record. He did this because he received cash bonuses for breaking records.
    He once injured himself and was unable to compete in a contest while wrestling over a magazine with another weightlifter.
    Even after the fall of the Soviet Union, he has never criticized communism that enslaved his countrymen.
    After retirement, he became a politician.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He's considered the greatest Olympic Super-Heavyweight division weightlifter of all time.
    He was undefeated in competition between 1970 and 1978.
    He coached the 1992 Olympic weightlifting team that won ten medals, including five gold.
    He was incredibly fast on his feet for such a big man.
    In 1975, he became one of the few weightlifters to make the cover of Sports Illustrated with a story titled 'World's Strongest Man.'

Credit: tom_jeffords


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 7 Votes: 14.29% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 11 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 6 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 22 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 8 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 17 Votes: 58.82% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 17 Votes: 58.82% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 14 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 78 Votes: 64.10% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 247 Votes: 49.39% Annoying