Aleksandr Maleyev

Belarusian gymnast Aleksandr Maleyev represented the Soviet Union during the 1970s, becoming a champion of the USSR in the floor exercises and uneven bars in 1971. Born in Voronezh in the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Maleyev lived most of his life in Minsk. At the 1972 München Olympics he was part of the Soviet team that won the silver medal in the all-round team event. Maleyev’s best individual performance at the München Games came in the floor exercise where he finished in equal 14th place.

At the USSR Championships Maleyev won silver in the all-round event (1971, 1973), silver in the rings (1971, 1973), and silver in the horizontal bar (1973). He was also a silver medallist at the USSR Cup and the World Universiade, both in 1973. Maleyev retired as a gymnast in 1974 before becoming a noted coach, in addition to serving in the armed forces.