Viktor Burakov

Ukrainian track and field athlete Viktor Burakov specialised in the 400 metres and was part of the Soviet national relay team in the early 1980s. In 1980 Burakov became the Soviet champion in the 4 × 400 metres relay, helping to secure himself a place on the Olympic team. At the Moskva Games he first competed in the 400 metres where he reached the semi-finals, missing out on the final by just a hundredth of a second.

Burakov then ran the anchor leg in the 4 × 400 metres relay, with the Soviets running the fastest time in the heats to advance to the final. The Soviets controversially left out the 400 metres gold medallist Viktor Markin in the opening round, with Burakov taking his place. Before the final, however, Buryakov developed a mysterious injury, allowing Markin to run, with the USSR winning gold. At the time, substitutes were not allowed in the early rounds of the relays, and a runner could only be replaced in the final due to an injury, with Burakov therefore not winning a medal despite his efforts.

One year after the Olympics, Burakov went on to win gold in the 4 × 400 metres relay at the Summer Universiade in București, with Markin also featuring in the Soviet quartet. After his retirement from athletics he worked as a director of a sports school and was a track and field coach. He was married to fellow sprinter Tatyana Prorochenko, who won gold in the women’s 4 x 400 metres relay at the Moskva Olympics.

Personal Best: 400 – 45.57 (1980).