Vladimir Smirnov (fencer)

Vladimir Viktorovich Smirnov

Personal information
Born	(1954-05-20)20 May 1954 Rubizhne, Ukrainian SSR
Died	28 July 1982(1982-07-28) (aged 28) Rome, Italy
Sport
Sport	Fencing
Medal record Mens' fencing Competitor for Soviet Union Olympic Games Gold 1980 Moscow Foil individual Silver 1980 Moscow Foil team Bronze 1980 Moscow Men's team épée

Vladimir Viktorovich Smirnov (Russian: Влади́мир Ви́кторович Смирно́в; May 20, 1954, Rubizhne, Ukrainian SSR – July 28, 1982, Rome, Italy) was a Soviet foil fencer.

Biography

Smirnov won the gold medal in individual men's foil at the 1980 Summer Olympics. He won the World Championships the following year.

During the 1982 World Championships in Rome, Smirnov was fencing Matthias Behr of West Germany on July 19. Behr's blade broke during the action. The broken blade went through the mesh of Smirnov's mask, through his eye orbit, and into his brain. Smirnov died nine days later.

Smirnov's accident was the driving force behind the significant improvement of safety gear in fencing. Maraging steel blades (instead of the carbon steel ones of the day), kevlar (or other ballistic nylon) in the uniforms, and masks two to three times stronger than the one he wore, and other safety rules, all came about because of his death.