Igor Zhelezovski

Igor Zhelezovski (1963 to 2021) was a Soviet and Belarusian speed skater, nicknamed Igor the Terrible and The bear from Minsk. He became World Sprint champion a record six times, in 1985, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992 and 1993, and he trained at the Armed Forces sports society in Minsk. At the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics he was sixth in the 500 metres, third in the 1000 metres and fourth in the 1500 metres. Skating for Belarus in his final seasons, he won the silver medal in the 1000 metres at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer and carried the Belarusian flag at the opening ceremony. After retiring in 1994 he led the skating union of Belarus for several years. He died on 12 June 2021 from complications of COVID-19.