Vasily Khmelevsky

Vasily Khmelevsky took up athletics and hammer throwing in 1963, when he was 15-years-old. He wsa considered as one of the rising stars in hammer throw in the late 1960s, but his fondness for alcohol hampered his career. Khmelevsky won Olympic bronze in 1972, Universiade silver in 1970 and was ninth at the 1971 European Championships. He never won a Soviet title, placing third at the 1971 and 1972 championships. After finishing his sports career, Khmelevsky worked as a physical education teacher, but his deepening alcoholism got him fired and in the 1980s he spent four years in prison on disorderly conduct charges. Khmelevsky died in the spring of 2002 due to heart failure.

Personal Best: HT – 74.98 (1975).