Aleksandrs Gerasimjonoks

During the 1960s and 1970s Soviet rifle shooter Aleksandrs Gerasimjonoks became a 15-time national champion, set five world records and nine European records, and won nine medals at one edition of the World Shooting Championships. With his impressive record in the USSR, Gerasimjonoks was selected to compete in the free rifle, three positions event at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. After leading the prone element, he then had a disastrous time in the kneeling element, finishing down in 14th place. He managed to recover somewhat in the standing discipline, tying for fifth, but missed out on a medal by just one point after finishing fourth overall.

One year later Gerasimjonoks won seven titles at the European Championships, taking home three golds as an individual and four in team events. The following year he won an impressive nine medals at the World Shooting Championships in Wiesbaden, with a haul of seven silvers and two bronze. His daughter Irina also became a successful rifle shooter, winning two golds at the World Championships, along with silver at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.