Aleksandr Salnikov(1949-2017)
Aleksandr Salnikov is a Soviet basketball player. One of the strongest snipers in Soviet basketball. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. As part of the USSR national team, he twice became the bronze medalist of the Olympic Games in 1976 and 1980, twice won the European Championship (1979, 1981), a victory at the World Championships in 1974, and the silver medals of the tournament in 1978.
Salnikov began training at the Youth Sports School of Tuapse. After graduating from school, he entered the Krasnodar Medical Institute, where he was noticed by a young ambitious coach Aleksandr Bannikov, who invited the 17-year-old student Salnikov to the team of the major league 'Stroitel' (Krasnodar), and a little later - to the national team of the Krasnodar Region. In 1971, the Kuban team won the final of the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the RSFSR for the first time. One of the leading players, the sniper of that team, was 22-year-old Salnikov. Since 1972, Salnikov has already played in Kiev. The following year, he graduated from the Kiev Medical Institute and, as part of the 'Stroitel' (Kiev), for the first time became the bronze medalist of the USSR Championship.
In the same 1973, Salnikov made his debut in the USSR national team and together with it won the "First World Basketball Festival" - a tournament of the nine strongest teams in the world, held in the Colombian capital Bogota under the auspices of FIBA.
He finished his professional career as a player in 1991, when he was 42 years old.
Salnikov began training at the Youth Sports School of Tuapse. After graduating from school, he entered the Krasnodar Medical Institute, where he was noticed by a young ambitious coach Aleksandr Bannikov, who invited the 17-year-old student Salnikov to the team of the major league 'Stroitel' (Krasnodar), and a little later - to the national team of the Krasnodar Region. In 1971, the Kuban team won the final of the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the RSFSR for the first time. One of the leading players, the sniper of that team, was 22-year-old Salnikov. Since 1972, Salnikov has already played in Kiev. The following year, he graduated from the Kiev Medical Institute and, as part of the 'Stroitel' (Kiev), for the first time became the bronze medalist of the USSR Championship.
In the same 1973, Salnikov made his debut in the USSR national team and together with it won the "First World Basketball Festival" - a tournament of the nine strongest teams in the world, held in the Colombian capital Bogota under the auspices of FIBA.
He finished his professional career as a player in 1991, when he was 42 years old.
