Gennady Nikolayev

Gennady Nikolayev found his fame in the 4×200 freestyle relay, as all of his international medals and Soviet titles were won in this event. He also swam his only world record in the 4×200 free relay when, just a month before the 1956 Olympics, he and Vitaly Sorokin, Vladimir Struzhanov and Boris Nik'it'ini set a world record of 8:24.5. At the 1956 Olympic Games Nikolayev won bronze and, at the 1958 European Championships, he won gold in the 4×200 relay. Nikolayev was Soviet 4×200 relay champion four times (1957-58, 1960, 1962) and won two individual silvers at the Soviet championships, in 1957 in the 100 free and in 1960 in the 400 free.

Personal Bests: 100 m freestyle – 57.6 (1957); 200 m freestyle – 2:05.6 (1957); 400 m freestyle – 4:35.1 (1960).