Viktor Sidyak Winner of four Olympics (Mexico City-68, Munich-72, Montreal-76 and Moscow-80) Country: Belarus

Biography of Viktor Sydyak

Viktor Sydyak, a Belarusian fencer, was born in 1943 in Anzhero-Sudzhensk, Kemerovo Oblast. He spent his childhood in Donetsk, where he began learning fencing techniques using a regular stick instead of a scarce saber. He started his journey to join the Soviet Union national team by representing the Ukrainian team. In the mid-1960s, Sydyak had already established himself as a skilled left-handed sabre fencer, known for his lightning-fast decision-making and continuous attacks.

In 1970, the Committee of Physical Culture and Sports of the Belarusian SSR invited him to move to Minsk. From that moment on, a long string of victories began for him. He won every tournament he participated in with the Soviet Union national team. In the 1972 Olympic Games, Sydyak became the first Soviet sabre fencer to win in individual competitions. However, the Soviet sabre team had to settle for silver in the same Games.

During the Games, Sydyak suffered a serious injury when an Italian fencer accidentally struck him in the eye with a shard of his sabre. He was diagnosed with a penetrating corneal wound, and attempts to remove the deeply embedded shard with a magnet were unsuccessful. An operation was required, and German doctors advised against continuing the competition. However, the final match against the Italians awaited, and the coaches entrusted the triumphant individual champion with the most challenging part of the bout. Concerned about potential consequences, the Soviet team doctors demanded a written agreement from Sydyak. Surprisingly, the next day, he stepped onto the piste, wearing an eye patch.

The final match was intense, with Sydyak having to adapt to fencing with impaired vision. Despite losing one touch to his opponent, whom he had never been defeated by before, with the help of a biased referee, Sydyak emerged victorious. The Italians remembered his unique fencing style, and after 22 years, his long-time rival Mario Montano invited Sydyak to train young fencers, including his own son, at his club in the port city of Livorno, Italy. Sydyak accepted the invitation due to a lack of permanent work and pension security.

Meanwhile, Belarusian fencing, which used to bring in up to 70% of all Soviet fencing awards, declined. Sydyak realized that he could train beginners into strong fencers within three to four years, but no one ever sought his assistance. Unfortunately, only his Italian protégés will compete in the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.

After winning four Olympic gold medals, Sydyak retired from fencing in 1980. However, almost a quarter of a century later, he found himself in demand. He was invited to work in the Professional Boxing Association by his former classmate Eduard Dubovsky. The change in career might seem strange at first, but Sydyak saw the parallels between boxing and fencing - both involve using techniques with hands or sabers. Professional boxing's popularity was growing, and Sydyak was pleased that Belarusian boxers were participating in major international tournaments. Currently, Viktor Sydyak holds the position of Secretary-General in the Belarusian Professional Boxing Association.