Viktor Pankrashkin Explained

Viktor Pankrashkin
Height M:2.16
Weight Kg:115
Birth Date:10 December 1957
Birth Place:Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Death Place:Moscow, Russian Federation
Nationality:Russian
Career Start:?
Career End:1992
Career Position:Center
Years1:?–?
Team1:SKA Lvov
Years2:?–1979
Team2:SKA Riga
Years3:1979–1989
Team3:CSKA Moscow
Years4:1989–1990
Team4:Urartu Yerevan
Years5:1991–1992
Team5:Metall Tula
Highlights:

Viktor Pankrashkin (Russian: Виктор Александрович Панкрашкин; 10 December 1957 - 24 July 1993) was a Soviet basketball player.

Pankrashkin won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics. Also, he won one silver and one bronze at the EuroBasket.[1]

Club career

Pankrashkin only came to basketball at the age of 17. Because of his height, he was noticed by an army basketball coach. After a short time with different army teams he came to CSKA Moscow, where he spent 10 years. In addition to his height, he had an enormous arm length so that he could stand on his heel and touch the basketball ring. With these physical virtues, blocked shots became his trademark. He won five Soviet championships in a row with CSKA. He celebrated his greatest triumph in 1988 when he won the gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul as a member of the Soviet national team. After 1988, CSKA got a new coach, with whom Pankraschkin fell out. He left Moscow and joined the new Armenian club Urartu in Yerevan. In terms of sport, however, his most successful period was over.

Disease

As early as 1986 Pankrashkin was diagnosed with tuberculosis. He initially kept the disease a secret. The further progression of the disease made it impossible to play basketball from 1992 onwards. He died of this disease on July 24, 1993.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Панкрашкин Виктор Александрович (1957-1993). Sport-necropol.ru. September 18, 2014.