Aleksei Barkalov (Ukrainian: Олексій Степанович Баркалов, Russian: Алексей Степанович Баркалов; 18 February 1946 – 9 September 2004) was a Ukrainian water polo player who competed in the 1968, 1972, 1976 and 1980 Summer Olympics and won two gold and one silver medals for the Soviet Union team. During his career, he played 412 games for the national team, more than any other athlete in the water polo history.[1][2] In 1993, he was inducted to the International Swimming Hall of Fame.[3]

Aleksei Barkalov
Personal information
NationalityUkrainian
Born(1946-02-18)18 February 1946
Kharkiv, USSR
Died9 September 2004(2004-09-09) (aged 58)
Kyiv, Ukraine
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight82 kg (181 lb)
Sport
SportWater polo
ClubDynamo Kharkiv, Dynamo Kyiv
Medal record
Men's Water polo
Representing the  Soviet Union
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1980 Moscow Team competition
Gold medal – first place 1972 Munich Team competition
Silver medal – second place 1968 Mexico Team competition
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1975 Cali Team competition
Silver medal – second place 1973 Belgrade Team competition
World Cup
Gold medal – first place 1981 Long Beach Team competition
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1970 Barcelona Team competition
Silver medal – second place 1974 Vienna Team competition

Biography

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Barkalov was born in the village of Vvedenka near Kharkiv and graduated from the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute. Before choosing water polo, he played basketball for the Kharkiv city team, as well as football. Since 1957 he competed in water polo for Dynamo Kharkiv and in 1971 changed to Dynamo Kyiv. Since 1976 he acted both as a player and a coach for Dynamo Kyiv. After retirement in 1980 he became the head coach of the Junior Water Polo Team of Ukraine. Between 1990 and 1994 he worked in Yugoslavia, coaching the water polo club of Novi Sad. He then returned to Ukraine and from 1997 to 1999 acted as President of the Water Polo Federation of Ukraine. He received the following awards: Order of Friendship, Order For Merit to the Fatherland (3rd class) and Order of Merit (Ukraine).[1][2]

Barkalov married Lyudmila Khazieva, a competitive swimmer who won a European bronze medal in 1966. Their only son, Dmitri, also competed in water polo but later pursued a career in business. Tragically, Dmitri was killed in 2001 at the age of 32.[4] This loss deeply affected Barkalov, and he passed away three years later due to a heart attack.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Алексей Баркалов ушел непобежденным Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine – obituary in Russian. sovsport.ru (2004-10-19).
  2. ^ a b "Biography: Aleksey Stepanovich Barkalov" (PDF). Nash Produkt (in Russian): 86–87. February 2009.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ ALEXEI BARKALOV (URS) 1993 Honor Water Polo Player Archived 2012-03-07 at the Wayback Machine. ishof.org
  4. ^ Баркалов Алексей Степанович (1946–2004) Archived 2012-11-30 at the Wayback Machine. sport-necropol.narod.ru
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