Eduard Zenovka

Although Eduard Zenovka was never considered as the top Russian modern pentathlete in the 1990s, he was quite successful internationally. During his career, Zenovka won three Olympic medals (silver and bronze in 1992, silver in 1996), was a world team champion in 1990 and 1991 and European team champion in 1997. He also won a relay silver at the 1999 and team bronze at the 1997 World Championships. On 11 February 1993, at about noon, Zenovka and his wife Oksana Kostina (World and European champion in rhythmic gymnastics in 1992) were involved in a serious car accident 51 km out of Moscow. A car which Zenovka was driving rammed a truck that was driving in the opposite direction. Sixteen hours after arriving at hospital, Kostina died from injuries sustained at the car crash. The police investigation revealed that Zenovka, who was driving the car, was heavily drunk at the time of the accident.