Sergei Belov

Sergey Belov is a Soviet basketball player and coach, Olympic champion in Munich 1972: Games of the XX Olympiad (1972), two-time world champion (1967, 1974), one of the most famous players in Soviet and European basketball of the 20th century. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, Honored Coach of the USSR and Russia.

Belov was born in the village of Nashchyokovo, Tomsk Region. The family also had two daughters who died during the first blockade winter in Leningrad, as well as a son Aleksandr. Before the war, Sergey's father was the champion of Leningrad in cross-country skiing. Sergey joined the sport from an early age: from the third grade he began to engage in acrobatics, and from the fourth grade - athletics. Other parallel hobbies were football, where he acted as a goalkeeper, and only later - basketball. He began to regularly engage in the basketball section from the 5th grade. From the age of 14, becoming more and more involved in basketball, Belov began to train with students in teams. In 1961, as part of the Tomsk Region team, he won the tournament of 12 Russian cities in Chelyabinsk, was recognized as the best player in the tournament and became the most productive basketball player in the competition. In 1962 he graduated from secondary school No. 8 in Tomsk. Becoming a student of the Faculty of Electronics and Computer Science of the Moscow Forestry Institute, Belov played not only for the university team, but also for the team of the Moscow Region.

In 1965 he was invited to the USSR national team, but he has not yet entered the official tournaments. In 1967, for the first time, he was included in the application for a major tournament - the World Cup in Uruguay. The first tournament was successful - Sergey became the world champion. In Mexico City 1968: Games of the XIX Olympiad (1968), as part of the national team, he won the bronze medal at the Olympic Games. At the end of 1968 he moved to Moscow, to BC CSKA (Moscow). In the new team, he quickly won a place in the starting five and became a leading player. In the spring of 1969, Belov won his first title of champion of the USSR, and also became the winner of the European Champions Cup. In 1969 he again became the champion of Europe, entered the symbolic five of the best players in the tournament. In 1970, he became the team captain. At the World Championships in Ljubljana, the team could only take bronze, but personally for Sergey the tournament was successful - he was recognized as the best player and awarded a special prize - the Cup of Glory. In 1972 he became an Olympic champion. In the final match, he was one of the best in the team, bringing 20 points out of 51 total. In 1974 helped the national team win the World Cup, held in Puerto Rico. In 1976, he won bronze at the Montreal 1976: Games of the XXI Olympiad (1976). In 1980, in recognition of his outstanding services, Belov was entrusted with the honor of lighting the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, and this was the only case in the 20th century when a basketball player was entrusted with such a mission. Following the results of the Moscow 1980: Games of the XXII Olympiad (1980) tournament, the team took bronze, and Belov was included in the symbolic five. After the end of the Games, Sergey Belov decided to end his playing career.