ZHABOTINSKY, LEONID IVANOVICH

born Jan. 28, 1938, Uspenska, Ukraine, U.S.S.R. Soviet weight lifter who won gold medals in the superheavyweight class at the 1964 and 1968 Olympics and set 17 world records. Born into a Cossack family, Zhabotinsky was exceptionally heavy, weighing 165 kg (364 pounds). At the 1964 Games in Tokyo Zhabotinsky battled his teammate Yury Vlasov in a dramatic contest, setting a world record in his final lift to win the gold. Renowned for his great zeal and win-at-any-cost attitude, Zhabotinsky pretended to concede defeat with one lift to go, as a ploy to unsettle Vlasov and the other competitors. He then returned for his final attempt, infuriating his opponents, and won with a total of 572.5 kg (1,262 pounds), setting a new Olympic record. Zhabotinsky was chosen by his nation to carry the Soviet flag at the beginning of the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.