Stanislav Pozdnyakov

Stanislav Pozdnyakov was the most successful male sabre fencer in the world in the 1990s and early 2000s. Pozdnyakov started his successful career at the 1992 Olympics, where he won gold in the team event. He repeated that feat at the next two Olympics, while also taking the individual title in 1996. To his four gold medals he added a team bronze in 2004 and he also competed at the 2008 Olympics, where he was fourth with Russian team. At the World Championships, Pozdnyakov has won five individual titles (1997, 2001-02, 2006-07) and five team titles (1994, 2001-03, 2005), three individual silvers (1994, 1999, 2005), two team silvers (1995, 1997) and two team bronzes (1999, 2006). He has also won four individual European titles (1994, 2001-03) and six team titles (2000-03, 2007-08), two individual European Championships bronzes (2000, 2007) and one team bronze (1998). In 2005, Pozdnyakov was elected to the Novosibirsk Oblast Duma (Parliament) and since 2008 has worked as head coach of the Russian national fencing team. Since 2009, he has also been vice-president of the Russian Fencing Federation.