Aleksandr Borisovich Savin (; born 1 July 1957) is a Russian former

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

player who competed for the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

in the

1976 Summer Olympics The 1976 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Montreal 1976 (), were an international multi-sport event held from July 17 to August 1, 1976, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal ...

in Montreal and the

1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad () and officially branded as Moscow 1980 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union, in present-day Russ ...

in Moscow.

Early life and education

Savin was born in

Taganrog Taganrog (, ) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don (river), Don River. It is in the Black Sea region. Population: Located at the site of a ...

. As a child, he moved with his parents in the city of

Obninsk Obninsk () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the bank of the Protva River southwest of Moscow and northeast of Kaluga. Its population is 125,376 at the 2021 census. History The history of ...

Kaluga Oblast Kaluga Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Kaluga. The Russian Census (2021), 2021 Russian Census found a population o ...

. He studied at the high school No.6 Obninsk. As a student in Obninsk, he began playing volleyball. He played club volleyball in 1967 for Obninsk Youth (in 2004 it was renamed Sports School, which bears Savin's name). His first coach was Vladimir Pitanov (1946–2016).

Career

In 1976, Savin was part of the Soviet team that won the silver medal in the Olympic tournament. He played all five matches. Four years later, he won the gold medal with the Soviet team in the 1980 Olympic tournament. He played all six matches. Savin was a major part of the

Soviet Union men's national volleyball team The Soviet Union men's national volleyball team was the national volleyball team that had represented the Soviet Union in the International competitions between 1948 until 1991. FIVB considers Russia as the inheritor of the records of Soviet ...

's success in the late 1970s to early 1980s by winning gold medals at the 1977 FIVB World Cup, 1978 FIVB World Championship, 1980 Olympic Games, 1981 FIVB World Cup, and 1982 FIVB World Championship.

Recognition

Awarded

Honored Master of Sports of the USSR Unified All-Russian Sports Classification () is a system which regulates the Russian physical education system requirements for both athletes and coaches. History In the Soviet period Unified Sports Classification System of the USSR () exist ...

(1976),

Order of Friendship of Peoples The Order of Friendship of Peoples () was an order of the Soviet Union, and was awarded to persons (including non-citizens), organizations, enterprises, military units, as well as administrative subdivisions of the USSR for accomplishments in s ...

(1985),

Order of the Badge of Honour The Order of the Badge of Honour () was a civilian award of the Soviet Union. It was established on 25 November 1935, and was conferred on citizens of the USSR for outstanding achievements in sports, production, scientific research and socia ...

(1980). On October 22, 2010, Savin was admitted to the

International Volleyball Hall of Fame The International Volleyball Hall of Fame (IVHF) was founded to honor extraordinary players, coaches, officials, and leaders who have made significant contributions to the game of volleyball. The Hall of Fame is located in Holyoke, Massachusetts ...

(

Holyoke Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,247. Loca ...

, United States).

References

External links

International Volleyball Hall of Fame profile
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Savin, Aleksandr Borisovich 1957 births Living people Sportspeople from Taganrog Soviet men's volleyball players Olympic volleyball players for the Soviet Union Volleyball players at the 1976 Summer Olympics Volleyball players at the 1980 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for the Soviet Union Olympic silver medalists for the Soviet Union Olympic medalists in volleyball Russian men's volleyball players Medalists at the 1980 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1976 Summer Olympics Honoured Masters of Sport of the USSR Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples Competitors at the 1986 Goodwill Games Goodwill Games medalists in volleyball Friendship Games medalists in volleyball International Volleyball Hall of Fame inductees 20th-century Russian sportsmen