Education
At his first competition, the 1956 Soviet Championships, Minayev broke the world record in the press, but finished only fourth overall.
At his first competition, the 1956 Soviet Championships, Minayev broke the world record in the press, but finished only fourth overall.
Minayev started training in weightlifting while serving in the Soviet Army. During his career, Minayev set 13 world records, nine in the press, one in the snatch, and three in the total. Minayev was known for his lack of subordination.
He refused any coach and often missed training sessions of the national team
He retired in 1966 and briefly worked as a weightlifting coach before returning to his native Klin, where he took temporal jobs at farms and mechanical workshops. Minayev left a car, an apartment and his family in Moscow.
He spent his last years homeless on the streets of Klin, where he froze to death in December 1993.