Serguei Zabolotnov is a swimmer who has competed for the Soviet Union. He competed at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. He was selected to swim for the Soviet team at Los Angeles 1984 but the Eastern Bloc boycott denied him the opportunity to participate.
Zabolotnov was considered one of the world's top backstrokers through the mid-1980s. His sporting success was blighted by the popularity of another talented backstroker Igor Polianski before the next Games. The Soviet swimming duel escalated in the backstroke double at Seoul 1988 with both Zabolotnov and Polianski aiming for the gold. First, he started the 200 metres backstroke final with an early lead on the initial length until Polianski surpassed him at the 150-metre turn to snatch the gold under two minutes. With Frank Baltrusch and Paul Kingsman edging him out for the top three spots, Zabolotnov slipped off to fourth. He produced a similar result from the 200 in the other half of a double (100), missing the podium again by 0.17 of a second. He also swam through the backstroke leg in the heats of the 4x100 metres medley relay before Polianski replaced him on the Soviet men's team that snared a bronze in the final.
Olympic Results[]
Year | Event | Rank |
---|---|---|
1988 | Men's 100m backstroke | 4th |
Men's 200m backstroke | 4th | |
Men's 4x100m medley relay |
1988[]
Discipline | Round | Time |
---|---|---|
100 metres backstroke | Heats | 56.13 |
A Final | 55.37 | |
200 metres backstroke | Heats | 2:01.27 |
A Final | 2:00.52 | |
4x100 metres medley relay | Heats | 3:45.29 (57.14 split) |
Final | 3:39.96 (Reserve) |