Born to a Russian mother and a Cuban father in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Wladimir Reznitschenko competed for the Soviet Union at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and won the épée team bronze medal. Individually, he finished eighth. After the Soviet Union divided into several countries, he took Estonian citizenship. In 1990, he defected to West Germany during a World Cup meeting in Italy. At Barcelona in 1992, he then participated with the German épée team and won the gold medal.
At World Championships, Reznitschenko won the team gold medal with the Soviet Union in 1987 when he finished fifth individually. In 1992, he received German citizenship and won his only national title. The following year Reznitschenko was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, Germany’s highest sports award. He also received the German media prize Bambi in 1994. Reznitschenko turned to coaching and moved to Russia in 1993 before later returning to Germany to work with clubs in Baden Württemberg.
Germany 
Soviet Union
Kazakhstan