Vladimir Kondrashin, Soviet basketball coach
T.E. Goodell
ST PETERSBURG, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Vladimir Kondrashin, the coach who led the
Soviet Union to their first Olympic basketball title in 1972, died of cancer on
Thursday at the age of 70.
``This morning my father died in hospital after a long illness,'' Yuri
Kondrashin told Reuters.
Kondrashin guided the Soviets to many international triumphs, including their
first world basketball title in 1974, but his most memorable victory came at
the 1972 Munich Olympics.
In the final, the Soviets trailed the favourites the United States by one point
with just three seconds left.
But Ivan Edeshko threw an inbound pass the length of the court to Alexander
Belov who hit the basket at the sound of the buzzer to hand the Americans their
first Olympic defeat, 51-50.
06:57 12-23-99
Matthew Hubbard
>
>
> ST PETERSBURG, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Vladimir Kondrashin, the coach who
> led the Soviet Union to their first Olympic basketball title in 1972,
> died of cancer on Thursday at the age of 70.
>
> one point with just three seconds left. But Ivan Edeshko threw an
> inbound pass the length of the court to Alexander Belov who hit the
> basket at the sound of the buzzer to hand the Americans their first
> Olympic defeat, 51-50.
One of the strangest and stinkiest jobs of refereeing I've ever seen.
Those last three seconds were played three times, and the Soviets would
have lost the game on either of the first two versions.
Of course, Kondrashin is not to blame for bad refereeing, but it
wouldn't be right to mention this victory without remembering the
controversy that swirled around it.
MattH
Brad Ferguson
<leof...@crl.com> wrote:
As I recall, the cheated U.S. team refused to show up to receive their
silver medals.
Xx Sdrawkcab daeR xX
To this day not one member of the US Olympic team has received their medal.
All have refused to acceot the Silver Medal. The medals are reportedly kept in
a vault ( can't remember which or where ) to be presented anytime requested.
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