Viktor Ivanovich Chukarin

Viktor Ivanovich Chukarin was a prominent Soviet gymnast who won eleven medals including seven gold medals at the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics, and was the all-around world champion in 1954. He was the most successful athlete at the 1952 Summer Olympics. Born in Krasnoarmeyskoye, Ukraine, he served in the Red Army during World War II and was taken as a prisoner of war. After the war, he returned to gymnastics and achieved great success, becoming a symbol of the sport's history.