Walentin Mankin

Sport:
sailing

Country Represented:
Soviet Union

Years Competed:
1968, 1972, 1976, 1980

Medals Received:
gold, silver

Olympic Info:
Mankin, a legend in the sport of yachting, is the only yachtsman to win Olympic gold medals in three different classes of boats in three different Olympiads. At the 1968 Mexico City Games, he competed in the Finn Class (men's singlehanded dinghy) and won the gold medal after finishing in the top three in six of the seven races.

Mankin returned to the Olympics in 1972 (the Munich Games) and competed in the Tempest class. During the competition, he finished in the top three in six of seven races and won his second gold medal. After failing to repeat as Olympic champion in the Tempest class at the 1976 Montreal Games(he won the silver medal), Mankin then completed his outstanding Olympic career by capturing the gold medal in the Star class at the 1980 Moscow Games.

Career Highlights:
Mankin moved to Italy in the mid-1990s and took over as Head Coach/Production Manager of the Italian National Sailing team. He is a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. Aug. 19, 1938

Origin:
Kiev, Ukraine