Background
Ter-Ovanesyan was born in Kiev to an Armenian discus thrower, Aram Avetisovich Ter-Ovanesyan, and a Ukrainian volleyball player, Valentina Ilinskaya.
Ter-Ovanesyan was born in Kiev to an Armenian discus thrower, Aram Avetisovich Ter-Ovanesyan, and a Ukrainian volleyball player, Valentina Ilinskaya.
He holds a Doctor of Philosophy and a title of Professor at the Department of Athletics, Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture. He also competed at the 1956, 1968 and 1972 Olympics and finished fourth in 1968.
He is a five-time Olympian and two-time Olympic medalist in this event. In 1985 he was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honour. Igor took up athletics when he was 15, and within two years was included to the Soviet national team
Ter-Ovanesyan trained at Burevestnik, first in Kiev, later in Lviv, and then in Moscow.
He published several sports-related books in Russian. Ter-Ovanesyan is a double Olympic bronze medalist.
Ter-Ovanesyan became the first European long jumper to break the 8 meter barrier. He broke the European long jump record eight times and the world long jump record twice.
Ter-Ovanesyan had the annual world"s best long jumps in 1962, 1966, 1967 and 1969.
After retiring from competitions, Ter-Ovanesyan became a national coach. His pupils included Ineta Radēviča, Valery Podluzhny, Wilhelmina Bardauskene and Tatyana Kolpakova. In 1983–1989 he headed the Soviet track and field team, which broke more than ten world records during preparations for the 1984 Friendship Games.
He later worked as chairman of the General Council of the coaching teams of the Sports Committee of Russia.
In 1994, he was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation GKFT.
Olympics
1960 Rome: Bronze with 8,04 m behind Ralph Boston with 8,12 m and Bo Roberson with 8,11 m. 1964 Tokyo: Bronze with 7,99 m behind Great Britain"s Lynn Davies with 8,07 m and Ralph Boston with 8,03 m
1968 Mexico: Fourth with 8,12 m behind Bob Beamon with 8,90 m, Klaus Beer (German Democratic Republic) with 8,19 m and Ralph Boston with 8,16 m.
European Championships
1958 Stockholm: Gold with 7,81 m before Kazimierz Kropidłowski with 7,67 m and Henryk Grabowski with 7,51 m. 1962 Belgrade: Gold with 8,19 m before Rainer Stenius and Pentti Eskola, both with 7,85 m
1966 Budapest: Silver with 7,88 m behind Lynn Davies with 7,98 m and before Jean Cochard with 7,88 m
1969 Athens: Gold with 8,17 m before Lynn Davies with 8,07 m and Tõnu Lepik with 8,04 m
1971 Helsinki: Silver with 7,91 m behind Max Klauss with 7,92 m and before Stanisław Szundrowicz with 7,87 m
World Records
8.31 metres on 10 July 1962 in Yerevan
8.35 metres on 19 October 1967 in Mexico City
On the eve of the Rome Olympics, fellow sprinter Dave Sime was approached by the Central Intelligence Agency and recruited to help secure Ter-Ovanesyan"s defection.
Sime approached Ter-Ovanesyan and introduced him to a Central Intelligence Agency agent in Rome, but that agent"s manner frightened Ter-Ovanesyan off and he did not defect.
He won Olympic bronze medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome – with a jump of 8.04 meters – and at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo – with a jump of 7.99 meters. At the European Championships he won outdoor gold medals in 1958, 1962 and 1969, and an indoor silver medal in 1971. In 1963, he won the United States. Indoor Championships.
As of 1991, Ter-Ovanesyan is a member of the central council of IAAF (IAAF Council Member).
