Former Olympic champion Viktor Saneyev dies at 76

ANKARA

Viktor Saneyev, a former multi-time Olympic champion in triple jump, died in Australia's Sydney on Monday.

"World Athletics is deeply saddened to hear that three-time Olympic triple jump champion and former world record-holder Viktor Saneyev has died at the age of 76," the international governing body of athletics said in a statement.

Saneyev was born in Georgia on Oct. 3, 1945 and won three Olympic gold medals in a row in Mexico City 1968, Munich 1972, and Montreal 1976 for the Soviet Union.

In the 1980 Olympics held in Moscow, he claimed a silver medal.

He also won European championships in triple jump in 1969 and 1974.


Saneyev retired after the 1980 Olympics and worked for Georgian club Dynamo Tbilisi.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Saneyev moved to Australia with his family.