Levan Sanadze

{{Short description|Georgian sprinter (1928–1998)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Levan Sanadze | full_name = Levan Georgiyevich Sanadze | image = | caption = | nationality = Georgian | sport = [[Sport of athletics|Athletics]] | birth_date = {{birth date|1928|8|16|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Tbilisi|Tiflis]], [[Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic]], [[Soviet Union]] | death_date = {{death date and age|1998|8|24|1928|8|16|df=yes}} | death_place = [[Moscow]], Russia | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]]}} {{MedalCountry | the {{URS}} }} {{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}} {{MedalSilver| [[1952 Summer Olympics|1952 Helsinki]]| [[Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4×100 m]]}} {{MedalCompetition|[[European Championships in Athletics|European Championships]]}} {{MedalGold|[[1950 European Athletics Championships|1950 Brussels]]|[[1950 European Athletics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4×100 m]]}} {{MedalBronze| [[1954 European Championships in Athletics|1954 Bern]] |[[1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4×100 m]]}} }}

'''Levan Georgiyevich Sanadze''' ({{lang-ka|ლევან სანაძე}}, {{langx|ru|Леван Санадзе}}; 16 August 1928 – 24 August 1998) was a [[Georgia (country)|Georgian]] sprinter. Domestically, he had represented the sports club [[Nauka Tbilisi]] and would win two titles in the men's 4 x 100 metres relay at the Soviet Championships alongside his teammates. He would compete at the [[1951 World Festival of Youth and Students]] and [[1954 World Student Games]], winning two silvers in the 100 metres and two golds in the men's 4 x 100 metres relay.

At the [[1952 Summer Olympics]], he would compete in the [[Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|men's 100 metres]], [[Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres|men's 200 metres]], and [[Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|men's 4 × 100 metres relay]]. He would not advance to the finals for the two former races but would win the silver in the relay alongside his teammates. Among his other medals would be a gold and bronze medal in the men's 4 × 100 metres relay at two editions of the [[European Athletics Championships]]. He later served as the head of the athletics department at the [[Physical Culture and Sports Committee of the Soviet Union]] during the 1980s. ==Biography== Levan Georgiyevich Sanadze was born on 16 August 1928 in what was then known as [[Tbilisi|Tiflis]] in the [[Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic]] of the [[Soviet Union]]. Domestically, he had represented the sports club [[Nauka Tbilisi]]. As part of the club, he would compete at the 1948 Soviet Championships alongside his teammates in the 4 x 100 metres relay and win the event.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/77623 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241217134922/https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/77623 |archive-date=17 December 2024 |work=[[Olympedia]] |access-date=28 June 2025 |url-status=live |title=Levan Sanadze Biographical Information }}</ref>

Two years later, he would represent the Soviet Union at the [[1950 European Athletics Championships]] in [[Brussels]]. There, alongside his teammates, would win the [[1950 European Athletics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|men's 4 × 100 metres relay]] and win gold. The following year he would compete at the [[1951 World Festival of Youth and Students]] in Berlin individually and as part of the relay team. He would win the silver medal in the 100 metres while placed first in the men's 4 × 100 metres relay.<ref name=bio />

He would compete in his first and only Olympic Games at the [[1952 Summer Olympics]] in [[Helsinki]]. Sanadze would first compete in the heats of the [[Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|men's 100 metres]] on 20 July against five other athletes. He would place third in his heat with a time of 11.13 seconds and not advance further.<ref name=o>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/77623 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241217134922/https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/77623 |archive-date=17 December 2024 |work=[[Olympedia]] |access-date=28 June 2025 |url-status=live |title=100 metres, Men }}</ref> Two days later, he would compete in the heats of the [[Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres|men's 200 metres]] against three other athletes. He would place second in his heat with a time of 22.26 seconds and advance to the quarterfinals. With four other competitors in his quarterfinal, he would place fourth with a time of 22.26 seconds again and not advance further.<ref name=t>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/58826 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250610021009/https://www.olympedia.org/results/58826 |archive-date=10 June 2025 |work=[[Olympedia]] |access-date=28 June 2025 |url-status=live |title=200 metres, Men }}</ref>

A few days later, he would be part of the Soviet Union's [[Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|men's 4 × 100 metres relay]] team. In the heats, they would place first with a time of 41.3 and advance to the semifinals. They would then record a time of 40.7 seconds in the semifinals and would advance to the finals. In the finals, they would place second and earn the silver medal with a time of 40.3 seconds.<ref name=h>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/58981 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241202101052/https://www.olympedia.org/results/58981 |archive-date=2 December 2024 |work=[[Olympedia]] |access-date=28 June 2025 |url-status=live |title=4 x 100 metres Relay, Men }}</ref> In the same year, he and his teammates would win the men's 4 x 100 metres relay at the 1952 Soviet Championships.<ref name=bio />

At the [[1954 World Student Games]], he would win the silver medal in the men's 100 metres and a gold alongside his teammates in the men's 4 x 100 metres relay. He would also compete at the [[1954 European Athletics Championships]] in [[Bern]], where he would win a bronze alongside his teammates in the [[1954 European Athletics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|men's 4 x 100 metres relay]]. After his career, he served as the head of the athletics department at the [[Physical Culture and Sports Committee of the Soviet Union]] during the 1980s. Sanadze would die on 24 August 1998 in [[Moscow]], Russia.<ref name=bio /> ==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanadze, Levan}} [[Category:1928 births]] [[Category:Athletes from Tbilisi]] [[Category:Men sprinters from Georgia (country)]] [[Category:Soviet men sprinters]] [[Category:Olympic silver medalists for the Soviet Union]] [[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1952 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Olympic athletes for the Soviet Union]] [[Category:1998 deaths]] [[Category:European Athletics Championships medalists]] [[Category:Medalists at the 1952 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics]]