Ivan Yedeshko

Sport: Basketball

Born: 25 March 1945

Birthplace: Stetski village, Grodno District, Grodno Region, Belarus

Honors:

Honored Master of Sport of the USSR

Honored Coach of the USSR

Career highlights:

Gold, Olympic Games in Munich, 1972

Bronze, Olympic Games in Montreal, 1976

Gold, FIBA World Championship in Puerto Rico, 1974

Silver, FIBA World Championship in Philippines, 1978

Gold, FIBA European Championships in Germany, 1971 and in Italy, 1979

Silver, FIBA European Championship in Yugoslavia, 1975

Bronze, FIBA European Championship in Spain, 1973

USSR champion, 1971-74, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980

Silver, USSR Championship, 1975

Biography:

Ivan Yedeshko was born on 25 March 1945 in the village Stetski, Grodno District, Grodno Region.

He took up boxing at first, but being a tall guy he caught the eye of junior basketball coach Anatoly Martsinkevich, who persuaded him to join his basketball club. Later on the talented teenager was coached by Yakov Fruman. In the 1960s Ivan Edeshko moved to Minsk where he played for the Spartak team at first and then joined the basketball team of the Minsk Radio Engineering Institute.

In 1970, Ivan Yedeshko was drafted to the army and joined the famous CSKA Moscow club coached by talented Aleksandr Gomelsky. As part of CSKA Moscow the athlete became the eight-time champion of the Soviet Union.

In 1970, innovative coach Vladimir Kondrashin took over the USSR national basketball. He, too, appreciated the talent of Ivan Yedeshko. Led by Vladimir Kondrashin, the Soviet national team won the Universiade in 1970 and the FIBA European Championship in 1971 and was considered one of the favorites ahead of the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972. The 1972 Olympic men's basketball final between USSR and USA was one of the most dramatic events in Olympic history. Team USA was leading 50:49 with three seconds remaining on the game clock. The coach fielded Ivan Yedeshko to start the final attack. The athlete did not let his team down. He threw a long pass down the court right to Alexander Belov, who instantly sent the ball home scoring the winning points for the Soviet team. It was the first time that the Soviet Union beat the United States in the Olympic basketball final.

At the Summer Olympics in Montreal in 1976, the Soviet national team led by Vladimir Kondrashin finished third. Thus, Ivan Yedeshko added Olympic bronze to his medal collection.

After retiring from sport, Ivan Yedeshko worked as a coach and had great results too. He helped CSKA Moscow win the Russian championship in 1992. In 1993 he led the Lebanese Sporting Club to the national champion crown. In 1998, Ivan Yedeshko returned to Russia to coach the Russian junior team from 1998 to 2000. Since 2000, Ivan Yedeshko worked as the head coach of the Russian youth national team.

In 1991, Minsk instituted a junior basketball tournament for the prizes of Olympic champion Ivan Yedeshko.


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