In the Middleweight

Vasily Denisov (1955-1996) of Perm, Russia was one of the strongest Soviet middleweight athletes of the end of the 1970s and beginning of the 1980s. He won the 1980 USSR championship in the 75kg category and more.

He was killed at 41.

“Rest in peace, my dear brother,” said his brother Anatoly when he donated Vasily’s photo to for the Lift Up: History in Color series.

RIP, great lifter!