38 Facts About Ivan Ukhov

Ivan Ukhov won a gold medal at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships and is a two-time European Indoor champion.

Ivan Ukhov was the silver medallist at the 2010 European Athletics Championships and the winner of the high jump at the inaugural 2010 IAAF Diamond League.

Ivan Ukhov gave an interview for an IAAF news report in May 2013, while "training" with a Moscow-area basketball team.

Ivan Ukhov won the gold medal at the 2005 European Athletics Junior Championships, held in Kaunas.

The 20-year-old Ivan Ukhov won all three of the meets he entered in January 2007, with heights of 2.30 or better.

Ivan Ukhov broke the record of 2.38, set in Sweden by Yaroslav Rybakov in February 2005.

Ivan Ukhov was pushed to the record in a tactical duel with Rybakov.

Ivan Ukhov failed in his first attempt and, with second-place already assured, he elected to pass.

Rybakov did not succeed, but Ivan Ukhov thrilled the Moscow crowd with a first-try clearance, and then failed at 2.41.

One week later, at the Arnstadt, Germany meet on 3 February 2007, Rybakov would win, tying his personal best of 2.38, while Ivan Ukhov finished fourth at 2.31.

In September 2008, Ivan Ukhov was not invited to the Grand Prix IAAF meetings, because of his intoxicated actions during the Athletissima competition in Lausanne held on 2 September.

Ivan Ukhov is still young and it should be a good lesson for him but a year ban would just completely destroy him as an athlete.

Ivan Ukhov returned to competition at the annual Moravia High Jump Tour in late January 2009.

At the Athens indoor meeting on 25 February 2009, Ivan Ukhov cleared 2.40, setting a new national record and the world's best season mark.

Ivan Ukhov improved his outdoor best on 25 July 2009 at the Russian National Championships in Cheboksary when he cleared 2.35 to win the event beating Yaroslav Rybakov, who cleared the same height.

At the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin Ivan Ukhov jumped 2.30 in qualifying, but when a torrential downpour wreaked havoc with the High Jump Final, Ivan Ukhov could manage only 2.23 and finished in 10th place: Rybakov won gold with a first-attempt clearance at 2.32.

Ivan Ukhov won five summer meets with jumps of 2.34 and 2.35, and defeated Rybakov three times before losing in the rain in Berlin.

At Monaco, four jumpers attempted 2.31, but only Ivan Ukhov made it, and then 2.34 on his first effort, before failing three times at 2.36.

At London, on 14 August 2010, in conditions described as "wet and chilly", Ivan Ukhov won again, out-jumping his competitors with a second-effort clearance at 2.29, as second- and third-place tied at 2.27.

Ivan Ukhov jumped an outdoor best of 2.36 at the 5th annual Opole jumping festival in Opole, Poland on 11 September, a mark which was the best by any athlete in 2010.

Ivan Ukhov's jump was all the more remarkable given that second place was 2.26, while he went on to clear 2.30 and 2.33 on his first jumps, then made 2.36 on his third, followed by three misses at 2.41.

Ivan Ukhov then cleared 2.36 on his first jump and Baba, after missing, passed to 2.38.

Once again Ivan Ukhov delivered a first jump clearance, while Baba missed and decided to make his third attempt at 2.40.

Ivan Ukhov was tied with German Raul Spank after each opened at 2.15 and then jumped "clean" with no misses through 2.32, breaking the meet record of 2.31.

Ivan Ukhov was runner-up at the Hochsprung mit Musik behind compatriot Aleksey Dmitrik, but defeated world champion Jesse Williams at the Europa SC High Jump with a mark of 2.33.

Ivan Ukhov saved his best for last, but his season-best leap - a first try clearance of 2.35 - at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow on 15 August 2013 was only good for 4th place, as two men cleared 2.38, and Ukrainian Bohdan Bondarenko established a new championship record of 2.41 to win the gold medal.

Ivan Ukhov immediately asked the bar to be raised to an world record height of 2.46, but then decided to rest without attempting.

Ivan Ukhov made one attempt at 2.40 and then retired, saving his legs for the "Winter Meet".

Dmitrik then made 3 tries at a Russian record 2.42, while Ivan Ukhov passed in order to try a World Indoor Record height of 2.44, his second and third attempts being very close.

Ivan Ukhov has 3 previous wins at Arnstadt, from 2009 to 2011, while Dmitrik won in 2012 and 2013.

Ivan Ukhov did so in dominating fashion, taking just 4 jumps- all first attempt clearances at 2.15,2.25,2.33, and 2.42.

Ivan Ukhov then passed every-other height, jumping only at 2.29 and 2.34 and clearing both on his first attempts, while still wearing his warmup tights.

Ivan Ukhov then passed at 2.36 and watched as Mutaz Essa Barshim and Andriy Protsenko cleared on their first attempts.

Ivan Ukhov then made one attempt at 2.43 before retiring.

On 1 February 2019, Ivan Ukhov was banned from athletics for four years due to doping.

In 2022, Ivan Ukhov said he had not returned his medal to the International Olympic Committee, although he added: "If [they] need it, they can have it".

Ivan Ukhov is unique in that he uses ordinary sprint spikes when he competes, which lack the added traction in the heel.

Ivan Ukhov approached me and invited me to train with him and I said 'Let's give it a try'.