Dmitry Bochkaryov Explained

Dmitry Bochkaryov
Nationality:Russian
Birth Date:28 December 1958
Birth Place:Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Show-Medals:yes

Dmitry Yevgenyevich Bochkaryov (Russian: Дмитрий Евгеньевич Бочкарёв) (born 28 December 1958, Leningrad) is a former speed skater from the Soviet Union.

Bochkaryov most notable feat was a silver medal at the 1982 World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Men in Assen, the Netherlands, behind Hilbert van der Duim. In 1981 he had already come close to a medal with a 4th place behind three Norwegian skaters in Oslo, while in 1983 he placed 5th, again in Oslo. In 1985 he became allround champion of the Soviet Union. He finished 6th at the 10.000 m event of the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, but could only reach 17th place at the 5.000 m event at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.[1]

Personal records

To put these personal records in perspective, the WR column lists the official world records on the dates that Bochkaryov skated his personal records.[2]

EventResultDateVenueWR
500 m38.623 March 1981Medeu37.00
1,000 m1:17.935 March 1982Divnogorsk1:13.39
1,500 m1:55.6325 December 1982Medeu 1:54.79
3,000 m4:03.9828 March 1979Medeu 4:06.91
5,000 m6:50.8317 March 1986Medeu 6:49.15
10,000 m14:12.8128 December 1983Medeu 14:23.59
Big combination162.57828 December 1983Medeu 161.550

Twice his personal best was better than the official world record at the time, both times at the Medeu speed skating rink near Alma Ata, which in the early 80s was by far the fastest rink in the world.
Bochkaryov skated his personal best on the 3000 m (4:03.98) at the same event (the Soviet Cup on 28 March 1979 at Medeu) as Dmitry Ogloblin, who skated 4;04.06;[3] however, since Bochkaryov skated in a quartet and Oglobin in a pair, only the second best time was recognized as the official new world record.[4] In 2019, the latter is still Medeu's official track record.[5] Medeu's unofficial track record is far lower; already in December 1973, Yuri Kondakov had set it at 4:03.67, while Sergey Marchuk skated a remarkable 3:56.65 there on March 11, 1977, an unofficial world record that stood until 1992.[6]
At the Nikolay Kiselyov Memorial championships in December 1983, Bochkaryov was one of three skaters to skate below the world record on the 10,000 m of 14:23.59. Igor Malkov was the fastest with an extraordinary time of 13:54.81.[7] None of these times were ever recognised as an official world record by the International Skating Union.

Bochkaryov has an Adelskalender score of 160.866 points. His highest ranking on the Adelskalender was second place behind Eric Heiden from 31 March 1981 until 1 April 1982.[8]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.schaatsstatistieken.nl/index.php?file=schaatser&code=1958122801 Dmitrij Botsjkarjov results
  2. Jakub Majerski, Personal records of Dmitrij Botsjkarjov
  3. https://www.speedskatingnews.info/en/results/?eventID=3656&gender=m POKAL DER UDSSR ⋅ MEN
  4. Bjarte Hetland, Da en ukjent polakk toppet verdensstatistikken at skøytehistorie.no (in Norwegian)
  5. http://www.speedskatingstats.com/index.php?file=rinks&rink=medeo Kompleks Medeo Track Record
  6. Evert Stenlund, Evolution of the 3000 m distance
  7. https://www.speedskatingnews.info/en/results/?eventID=16402&gender=m COMPETITION: MEMORIAL NIKOLAJ KISELJOV ⋅ MEN
  8. Evert Stenlund, Evolution of Adelskalendern 1 July 1979 - 1 July 1984