Mykola Avilov

Mykola Viktorovych Avilov (Ukrainian: Микола Вікторович Авілов, Russian: Николай Викторович Авилов, born 6 August 1948) is a retired Ukrainian Soviet decathlete who competed at the 1968, 1972 and 1976 Olympics. He won a gold medal in 1972, setting a new world record, a bronze in 1976, and finished fourth in 1968. He is the only Olympic champion in decathlon from the Soviet Union.

Mykola Avilov

Mykola Avilov in 1972
Personal information
Born	6 August 1948 (1948-08-06) (age 76) Odesa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	89 kg (196 lb)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event	Decathlon
Club	Dynamo Odesa
Achievements and titles
Personal best	8,466 (1972)
Medal record Representing Soviet Union Olympic Games 1972 Munich Decathlon 1976 Montreal Decathlon Universiade 1970 Turin Decathlon 1973 Moscow Decathlon

Unusually tall for his time Avilov first played basketball, then changed to high jump in 1962, and only in 1966 turned to decathlon. He won that event at the 1970 Universiade and finished second in 1973. In 1971 he married Valentyna Kozyr, an Olympic high jumper. Avilov retired in 1980 after finishing fifth at the Soviet Championships. He then coached athletics in Ukraine, Iraq, China, Egypt and the Seychelles.

In the 2015 Odesa regional election Avilov was elected into the Odesa Oblast parliament as the first of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc's election ballot.