Nikolay Chuzhikov

During the 1960s Nikolay Chuzhikov was an excellent sprint canoeist who won multiple national titles in the Soviet Union and gold at the Olympics. From 1962 to 1969 Chuzhikov won eleven national titles and was selected to represent his country at international competitions. His first success at a major event came in 1963 when he won bronze in the K2 1,000 metres at the World Championships along with compatriot Anatoly Grishin. One year later Chuzhikov, Grishin, Vyacheslav Ionov, and Vladimir Morozov won gold in the K4 1,000 metres at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The Olympic champions continued to have success in the K4 when they won gold two years later at the 1966 World Championships. At the European Championships, however, he was unable to match his Olympic and World Championship glory, but did win three bronze medals during the decade (1965, 1967, 1969). In 1968 Chuzhikov returned to the Olympics but the Soviet K4 team failed to finish in their semi-final race and were eliminated. After his retirement from the sport in 1970 he worked as a coach.