Oleksandr Perviy

Ukrainian Oleksandr Perviy was one of the most promising young weightlifters at the start of 1980s but, due to weak health and drinking problems, he never won an international title. Perviy won middleweight silver at the 1980 Olympics, middleweight silver at the 1980 and 1981 World Championships, light-heavyweight silver at the 1982 Worlds, middleweight silver at the 1981 European Championships, light-heavyweight silver at the 1982 Europeans, and middleweight bronze at the 1980 Europeans. Domestically, Perviy won a Soviet middleweight title in 1981, a light-heavyweight title in 1982, the Soviet middleweight cup in 1979, and the light-heavyweight cup in 1981. During his career Perviy set four world records, three in middleweight (two in clean & jerk and one in total) and one in light-heavyweight clean & jerk. All this would have been a good start to a very promising weightlifting career but, in early 1983, Perviy suffered a heart attack and was unable to compete again. During his sporting career Perviy served in the Soviet Army, but was discharged from the service after his heart attack due to ill health. After his forced retirement from sports and release from the Army, Perviy was unable to find a job and started drinking. In September 1985, at only 24-years-old, Perviy suffered another heart attack, this time fatal, while driving a car in his hometown Donetsk.