Mikhail Burtsev

Mikhail Ivanovich Burtsev (Russian: Михаил Иванович Бурцев; 21 June 1956 – 16 October 2015)^[1] was a Soviet sabre fencer. He won two gold medals and two silvers at three different Olympic Games.

Mikhail Burtsev

Personal information
Born	(1956-06-21)21 June 1956 Moscow, Soviet Union
Died	16 October 2015(2015-10-16) (aged 59) Moscow, Russia
Sport
Sport	Fencing
Medal record Men's fencing Representing  Soviet Union Olympic Games 1976 Montréal Sabre, team 1980 Moscow Sabre, team 1980 Moscow Sabre, individual 1988 Seoul Sabre, team World Championships 1977 Buenos Aires Sabre, team 1979 Melbourne Sabre, team 1983 Vienna Sabre, team 1985 Barcelona Sabre, team 1986 Sofia Sabre, team 1987 Lausanne Sabre, team 1978 Hamburg Sabre, team 1978 Hamburg Sabre, individual 1981 Clermont-Ferrand Sabre, team 1979 Melbourne Sabre, individual 1982 Rome Sabre, team

Career

Burtsev began his fencing career in 1965; he originally fenced for Burevstnik, and later for CSKA Moscow.^[2] Burtsev was a graduate of the Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism. He was named a Merited Master of Sport of the USSR (Заслуженный мастер спорта) in 1980.^[2]

Burtsev was one of the youngest Olympic fencing champions, being only 20 years old when he won his first gold medal in Canada in 1976.^[3] Burtsev was unable to compete at the 1984 Summer Olympics because of the Soviet boycott of those games, but went on to win the silver medal in men's team sabre in the 1988 Summer Olympics.^[4] At the 1992 Summer Olympics, he coached the Unified Team fielded by the former Soviet Union,^[3] which took the gold medal at men's team sabre.^[5]

Honours

Individual

• Silver medal at the World Championships (1978)
• Bronze medal at the World Championships (1979)
• Silver medal at the Olympic Games (1980)
• Gold medal at the Friendship Games (1984)^[6]
• Merited Master of Sport of the USSR (1980)

Team

• Six-time world champion (1977, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987)^[6]
• Silver medal at the World Championships (1978, 1981)
• Bronze medal at the World Championships (1982)
• Gold medal at the Olympic Games (1976, 1980)
• Silver medal at the Olympic Games (1988)
• Gold medal at the Friendship Games (1984)^[6]