Yevgeny Nikolayevich Kulikov (, born 25 May 1950 in Sverdlovsk Oblast) is a former speed skater who specialised in the sprint.
Yevgeny Kulikov trained at Burevestnik Voluntary Sports Society. Competing for the Soviet Union he became the first to break the 38 seconds barrier on the 500 m in 1975 and over the course of the next two weeks he lowered his own 500 m world record three more times, finishing with a time of 37.00, exactly one second below the previous world record. He would remain the 500 m world record holder for 8 years. For his achievements he received the 1975 Oscar Mathisen Award.
At the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, he won gold on the 500 m despite the fact that he had a cold and a fever during his race. As the defending 500 m Olympic Champion and world record holder, he won silver at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, being beaten by Eric Heiden.
At the World Sprint Championships, Kulikov won silver in 1975 and bronze in 1977. In 1981, Kulikov lowered his own 500 m world record once more, becoming the first man to break the 37-second barrier.
Records World records Over the course of his career, Kulikov skated nine world records:
DisciplineTimeDateLocation500 m37.9915 March 1975 Medeo500 m37.9716 March 1975 Medeo500 m37.2028 March 1975 Medeo500 m37.0029 March 1975 MedeoSprint combination153.25029 March 1975 Medeo1000 m1:15.7020 March 1976 MedeoSprint combination151.19021 March 1976 Medeo1000 m1:15.3319 March 1977 Medeo500 m36.9128 March 1981 Medeo
Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com
Personal records EventResultDateVenue500 m36.9128 March 1981Medeo1000 m1:15.3319 March 1977Medeo1500 m2:06.316 December 1977Medeo3000 m4:37.723 August 1981Leningrad
References
Yevgeny Kulikov at SpeedSkatingStats.com Legends of Soviet Sport: Yevgeny Kulikov
External links