Vladimir Ignatenko (sprinter)

Vladimir Ignatenko
Personal information
Birth name	Володимир Володимирович Ігнатенко
Born	17 April 1955 (age 69); Nizhyn, Ukrainian SSR
Sport
Country	Soviet Union
Sport	Athletics
Event	100 metres
Achievements and titles
National finals	2 Soviet titles (1978)
Personal best(s)	100 m: 10.31 (1978); 200 m: 20.74 (1978)

Vladimir Vladimirovich Ignatenko (Ukrainian: Володимир Володимирович Ігнатенко; born 17 April 1955) is a Ukrainian former Soviet sprinter who competed in the 100 metres.^[1] At the 1978 European Athletics Championships he was the bronze medallist in the 100 m and a member of the bronze medal-winning Soviet 4 × 100 metres relay team, alongside Sergey Vladimirtsev, Nikolay Kolesnikov and Aleksandr Aksinin.^[2] Ignatenko won a relay gold medal with Kolesnikov, Aksinin and Juris Silovs at the 1977 Universiade.^[3] He also represented his country in the relay at the 1979 IAAF World Cup.^[4]

He was a two-time national champion at the Soviet Athletics Championships, completing a 100/200 m double in 1978.^[5]

He was born in Nizhyn, Ukrainian SSR, to Vladimir and Halyna Ignatenko, a military officer and primary school teacher respectively. He took up a variety of sports in his youth, including football, cycling and cross-country skiing. He enrolled in the Soviet Army and it was there that his sprint speed was noticed, and his superiors passed him to the army sports team for training. An injury at the end of the 1978 season curtailed his career.^[6]

International competitions

Representing the Soviet Union
Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Result	Notes
1977	Universiade	Sofia, Bulgaria	1st	4 × 100 m relay	38.75	^[7]
1978	European Indoor Championships	Milan, Italy	10th (sf)	60 m	6.79	5th in heat 2
	European Championships	Prague, Czechoslovakia	3rd	100 m	10.37
			5th (sf)	200 m	20.74	5th fastest in semis
			3rd	4 × 100 m relay	38.82	^[8]
1979	World Cup	Montreal, Canada	6th	4 × 100 m relay	39.52