Yakov Grigoryevich Tolstikov (Russian : Я́ков Григо́рьевич То́лстиков ; born 20 May 1959 in Prokopyevsk ) is a former Russian distance runner. Tolstikov rose to worldwide prominence following his surprise upset of favorite Gelindo Bordin in the 1991 London Marathon .[ 1] [ 2] He set a personal best of 2:09:17 hours at the race which went unbeaten as a Soviet record .[ 3] This time was the fastest by any European in the 1991 season , and the third fastest time in the world after Kōichi Morishita and Takeyuki Nakayama of Japan.[ 4] [ 5]
In international competition he represented the Unified Team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, coming in a distant 22nd.[ 6] He twice ran at the World Championships in Athletics , coming eleventh in 1987 but failing to finish in 1991. He was a marathon bronze medallist at the 1986 Goodwill Games .[ 7]
In individual races, he won the Uzhhorod Marathon three times (1983, 1986, 1987), the 1984 Moscow International Peace Marathon , the 1995 Siberian International Marathon , and the 1990 Humarathon .[ 8] He was a one-time national champion, winning the marathon at the Soviet Athletics Championships in 1988.[ 9]
International competitions
Year
Competition
Venue
Position
Event
Notes
Representing the Soviet Union
1983
Universiade
Edmonton , Canada
6th
Marathon
2:22:31
1986
Goodwill Games
Moscow , Soviet Union
3rd
Marathon
2:16:22
1987
World Championships
Rome , Italy
11th
Marathon
2:16:55
1988
European Marathon Cup
Huy , Belgium
9th
Marathon
2:14:10
1st
Marathon team
31 pts
1989
World Marathon Cup
Milan , Italy
4th
Marathon team
6:39:18
1990
European Championships
Split , Yugoslavia
—
Marathon
DNF
1991
World Marathon Cup
London , United Kingdom
8th
Marathon team
6:40:09
World Championships
Tokyo , Japan
—
Marathon
DNF
Representing the Unified Team
1992
Olympic Games
Barcelona , Spain
22nd
Marathon
2:17:04
Representing Russia
1994
European Championships
Helsinki , Finland
20th
Marathon
2:15:32
Marathons
Year
Competition
Venue
Position
Event
Notes
1983
Uzhhorod Marathon
Uzhhorod , Soviet Union
1st
Marathon
2:13:35
1984
Moscow Peace Marathon [nb]
Moscow , Soviet Union
1st
Marathon
2:10:48
1985
Soviet Championships
Mogilev , Soviet Union
4th
Marathon
2:13:14
1986
Uzhhorod Marathon
Uzhhorod , Soviet Union
1st
Marathon
2:11:43
1987
Uzhhorod Marathon
Uzhhorod , Soviet Union
1st
Marathon
2:11:05
Soviet Championships
Mogilev , Soviet Union
7th
Marathon
2:13:50
Fukuoka Marathon
Fukuoka , Japan
8th
Marathon
2:12:31
1988
Soviet Championships
Tallinn , Soviet Union
1st
Marathon
2:14:29
Chicago Marathon
Chicago , United States
2nd
Marathon
2:09:20
1989
Beppu-Ōita Marathon
Beppu –Ōita , Japan
2nd
Marathon
2:12:35
Milano City Marathon
Milan , Italy
19th
Marathon
2:15:35
1990
London Marathon
London , United Kingdom
6th
Marathon
2:11:07
1991
London Marathon
London , United Kingdom
1st
Marathon
2:09:17 PB
Italian Marathon
Carpi , Italy
11th
Marathon
2:13:05
Fukuoka Marathon
Fukuoka , Japan
9th
Marathon
2:12:07
1992
London Marathon
London , United Kingdom
6th
Marathon
2:10:49
Fukuoka Marathon
Fukuoka , Japan
6th
Marathon
2:12:06
1993
Siberian International Marathon
Omsk , Russia
2nd
Marathon
2:13:31
1994
Vienna City Marathon
Vienna , Austria
3rd
Marathon
2:12:55
1995
Tokyo Marathon
Tokyo , Japan
5th
Marathon
2:11:34
Siberian International Marathon
Omsk , Russia
1st
Marathon
2:14:37
1997
Siberian International Marathon
Omsk , Russia
4th
Marathon
2:17:46
nb The Friendship Games Marathon was hosted within the Moscow International Peace Marathon in 1984 and Tolstikov was the second fastest runner there, but did not receive a Friendship Games medal as he was not entered for the team.[ 10]
References
External links