Veniamin Soldatenko

{{short description|Soviet racewalker (1939–2023)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Veniamin Soldatenko | image = Veniamin Soldatenko 1972.jpg | caption = Soldatenko in 1972 | birth_date = {{birth-date|4 January 1939}} | birth_place = Shkurovka, [[Akkayin District|Beinetkorsky District]], [[North Kazakhstan Region]], [[Kazakh SSR]], [[USSR]]<ref name="Panorama">{{cite book|title=Panorama of the 1972 Sports Year|year=1973|publisher=[[Fizkultura i sport (publisher)|Fizkultura i sport]]|location=Moscow|language=Russian|page=109}}</ref> | death_date = {{death-date and age|15 July 2023|4 January 1939}} | death_place = | height = 1.75 m | weight = {{convert|63|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | sport = Athletics | event = 50 km walk | club = [[Armed Forces (sports society)|SKA]] [[Almaty]] | pb = 3:53:24 (1978) | alma_mater = | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's [[Sport of athletics|athletics]]}} {{Medal|Country | the {{URS}} }} {{Medal|Competition|[[Olympic Games]]}} {{Medal|Silver| [[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Munich]]|[[Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's 50 kilometres walk|50 km walk]]}} {{Medal|Competition|[[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]}} {{Medal|Gold|[[1976 World Championships in Athletics|1976 Malmö]]|[[1976 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 50 kilometres walk|50 km walk]]}} {{Medal|Competition|[[European Athletics Championships|European Championships]]}} {{Medal|Gold|[[1971 European Athletics Championships|1971 Helsinki]]|[[1971 European Athletics Championships – Men's 50 kilometres walk|50 km walk]]}} {{Medal|Silver|[[1978 European Athletics Championships|1978 Prague]]|[[1978 European Athletics Championships – Men's 50 kilometres walk|50 km walk]]}} {{Medal|Bronze|[[1969 European Athletics Championships|1969 Athens]]|[[1969 European Athletics Championships – Men's 50 kilometres walk|50 km walk]]}} }}

'''Veniamin Vasilievich Soldatenko''' ({{langx|ru|Вениамин Васильевич Солдатенко}}, 4 January 1939 – 15 July 2023) was a [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] athlete who competed mainly in the [[50 km walk]]. He acquired [[Kazakhstan]]i citizenship after the dissolution of the [[Soviet Union]].

Soldatenko took up athletics in 1962 and became a member of the [[Soviet Union|USSR]] National Team in 1967.<ref name="Panorama"/> He competed at the [[1972 Summer Olympics]] and won the silver medal. He also won a silver medal at the [[IAAF World Race Walking Cup|1970 World Race Walking Cup]], a gold medal at the [[1976 World Championships in Athletics|1976 World Championships]] and bronze, gold and silver medals at the European Championships in [[1969 European Championships in Athletics|1969]], [[1971 European Championships in Athletics|1971]] and [[1978 European Championships in Athletics|1978]], respectively. Soldatenko was awarded the [[Order of the Badge of Honor]] in 1972.<ref name="Panorama"/>

Soldatenko was the first ever IAAF world champion and remains the oldest male world champion in athletics, having taken his 50 km walk title at 37 years and 258 days.<ref>[http://iaaf-ebooks.s3.amazonaws.com/Moscow-2013-Statistics/sources/projet/IAAF-Moscow.pdf IAAF Statistics Book Moscow 2013] (p. 20). IAAF/[[Association of Track and Field Statisticians|AFTS]] (2013). Edited by Mark Butler. Retrieved on 9 September 2013.</ref> In retirement he coached race walkers in his native Kazakhstan.<ref name=sr>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173445/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/so/veniamin-soldatenko-1.html Veniamin Soldatenko]. sports-reference.com</ref>

Soldatenko died on 15 July 2023, at the age of 84.<ref>[https://qazathletics.kz/ru/news/na-84-om-godu-zhizni-skonchalsya-legendarnyj-kazahstanskij-sportsmen-pervyj-legkoatlet-poluchivshij-medal-na-olimpijskih-igrah-i-rekordsmen-mira-soldatenko-veniamin-vasilevich На 84-ом году жизни, скончался легендарный казахстанский спортсмен — первый легкоатлет, получивший медаль на Олимпийских Играх и рекордсмен мира Солдатенко Вениамин Васильевич] {{in lang|ru}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Soldatenko, Veniamin}} [[Category:1939 births]] [[Category:2023 deaths]] [[Category:People from North Kazakhstan Region]] [[Category:Soviet men race walkers]] [[Category:Kazakhstani men race walkers]] [[Category:Olympic athletes for the Soviet Union]] [[Category:Olympic silver medalists for the Soviet Union]] [[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for the Soviet Union]] [[Category:World Athletics Championships medalists]] [[Category:European Athletics Championships medalists]] [[Category:Armed Forces (sports society) sportspeople]] [[Category:Medalists at the 1972 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics]] [[Category:World Athletics Championships winners]] [[Category:Soviet Athletics Championships winners]]