Armenian pentathlon is associated with Olympic champion Igor Novikov. He was the one to start and develop in Armenia this discipline, which unfortunately has slowly been disappearing after his death.

This edition of Mediamax Sport’s In One Shot is dedicated to the Olympic shirt of Igor Novikov, which he presented to Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture and Sport.

Pentathlete Igor Novikov’s family moved to Yerevan when he was 5 years old. In just 5 years he started going in for swimming, and later participated in USSR Championship. In 1951 he joined the USSR pentathlon team.

Several years later he won medals in World and European Championships, and in 1956 and 1964 he became an Olympic champion.

Although Novikov was Russian, he often spoke about his attachment to Armenians and Armenia, where he grew up and spent most of his life. Once he said that he is the Russian child of Armenian nation. 

Novikov graduated from Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture and Sport, where there is a corner dedicated to the renowned athlete. Novikov gave the institute some of his cups, authored books and the shirt with which he became an Olympic champion.