{{Short description|Russian-Soviet high jumper (1945–2021)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Valeriy Skvortsov | birth_date = 31 May 1945 | birth_place = [[Berdychiv]], [[Ukrainian SSR]], [[Soviet Union]] | death_date = {{death date and age|2021|9|24|1945|5|31|df=yes}} | death_place = | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]]}} {{MedalCountry | the {{URS}} }} {{Medal|Competition|[[European Championships in Athletics|European Championships]]}} {{Medal|Bronze| [[1966 European Athletics Championships|1966 Budapest]] | [[1966 European Athletics Championships – Men's high jump|High Jump]]}} {{MedalCompetition|[[Universiade]]}} {{MedalGold| [[1965 Summer Universiade|1965 Budapest]] | High Jump}} }} '''Valeriy Sergeyevich Skvortsov''' ({{langx|ru|Валерий Скворцов}}; (31 May 1945 &ndash; 24 September 2021) was a [[high jump]]er who represented the [[USSR]] in the 1964 and 1968 [[Summer Olympics]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/77658 |title=Valeriy Skvortsov |work=Olympedia |access-date=31 October 2021}}</ref>

Skvortsov was first noticed by Soviet high jump coach Viktor Lonsky, who offered him training in a converted sports gym located within the walls of an old Catholic cathedral. His sports career began to accelerate as he won various local high jump competitions and later was invited to Moscow to train for the Soviet Olympic team.

Skvortsov had subsequently participated in the [[1964 Summer Olympics|Tokyo Olympic Games]] of 1964, where he took the 14th place in the high-jump final with a jump height of 2.06 meters.<ref>[http://users.skynet.be/hermandw/olymp/srathmhj.html#1964 High jump results: Olympics 1964]</ref> [[Valeriy Brumel]] from the Soviet Union), and [[John Thomas (athlete)|John Thomas]] from the United States won the gold and silver medals, respectively.

At the [[1966 European Indoor Games]] championship in [[Dortmund]], [[West Germany]], Skvortsov won first place with a career best jump of 2.17 meters. At the [[1968 European Indoor Games]] he successfully defended his title as the European high jump champion winning first place again with 2.17 meters.

Skvortsov participated in the [[1968 Summer Olympics]] in [[Mexico City]], where he competed with [[Dick Fosbury]] and [[Valentin Gavrilov]]. His 2.16 meter jump secured him a fourth-place finish.<ref>[http://users.skynet.be/hermandw/olymp/ssathmhj.html#1968 High jump results: Olympics 1968]</ref>

After a leg injury forced him to stop competing, Skortsov continued as a high jump trainer in Moscow (Dinamo) and then went to work as the head of [[Duma]] security. Skvortsov was retired and lived in [[Moscow, Russia]].

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{sports links}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927194250/http://www.zn.ua/3000/3900/10668/ Berdichev and Viktor Lonsky]

{{Footer Universiade Champions High Jump Men}} {{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skvortsov, Valeriy}} [[Category:1945 births]] [[Category:2021 deaths]] [[Category:Olympic athletes for the Soviet Union]] [[Category:Ukrainian men high jumpers]] [[Category:Soviet men high jumpers]] [[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1968 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:European Athletics Championships medalists]] [[Category:Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)]] [[Category:People from Berdychiv]] [[Category:FISU World University Games gold medalists for the Soviet Union]] [[Category:Medalists at the 1965 Summer Universiade]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Zhytomyr Oblast]] [[Category:Soviet Athletics Championships winners]] [[Category:20th-century Ukrainian sportsmen]]