Nikolay Zimyatov

Nikolay Zimyatov
Nikolay Zimyatov in 2008
Country Russia
Born (1955-06-28) 28 June 1955
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
World Cup career
Seasons5 – (19821985, 1988)
Indiv. starts17
Indiv. podiums2
Indiv. wins2
Team starts2
Team podiums1
Team wins0
Overall titles0 – (6th in 1984)
Medal record
Men's cross-country skiing
Representing  Soviet Union
Olympic Games
1980 Lake Placid30 km
1980 Lake Placid50 km
1980 Lake Placid4 × 10 km relay
1984 Sarajevo30 km
1984 Sarajevo4 × 10 km relay
World Championships
1978 Lahti30 km

Nikolay Semyonovich Zimyatov (Russian: Николай Семёнович Зимятов; born 28 June 1955), is a Soviet and Russian cross-country skier. He was the first man in the sport to win three gold medals at a single Winter Olympics, in the 30 km, 50 km and 4 × 10 km relay at the 1980 Lake Placid Games. In the 50 km race he finished two and half minutes ahead of the second place. He also won the 30 km event at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo and was awarded Order of Friendship of Peoples that year.

At the world championships Zimyatov won only one medal, a silver over 30 km in 1978. Nationally he collected four Soviet titles: in the 30 km and 4 × 10 km relay in 1978, and in the 15 and 30 km in 1979. After retiring from competitions he had a long career as a cross-country skiing coach and prepared the Russian team for the 2002 Olympics. In 1980 he married a fellow international skier Lyubov Sykova.