2. Nifontov Ivan Vitalevich
Ivan was born in Kazakhstan, where he got acquainted with judo. When
Ivan was 9 years old, his parents moved to Barnaul, where Nifontov
continued judo classes and attended Gymnasium 40. Currently he has
been coached by Igor Votyakova and bronze medalist Dmitry Sergeyev.
Significant contribution to the progress was made by Ivan and head
coach of Russian Olympic champion 1980 Italian Ezio Gamba.
In 2009 he won the European Championship in Tbilisi. At the World
Championships 2009 in Rotterdam was the only Russian to win the gold
medal.
He currently lives, trains and works in Ryazan.
During the Olympic Games in London in 2012 he won a bronze medal
in judo in the weight category up to 81 kg, beating the Japanese Takahiro
Nakai. Lost in the finals to Korean Kim Jae Bohm, who later became the
champion in this weight category.
May 26, 2013 was the winner of the prestigious tournament - World
Masters, which took place in the city of Tyumen.
3. Nifontov Ivan
Ivan Nifontov - an athlete from the Altai region, who
is the first in Russian and Soviet history the world
judo champion in the weight category up to 81 kg.
Ivan Nifontov was recognized as the best judoka in
Europe in 2009. This decision was made by the
sports committee of the European Judo Union. In
addition, he is an instructor at KSU athlete "Regional
Sports Club”. Year 2009 was very productive for Ivan
Nifontov. Nifontov successfully performed in major
world competitions that year. The main success was
the victory at the World Championship on August 28
(in the weight category up to 81 kg). In April of this
year in Georgia in Tbilisi, he won the European
Championship, and in July - the Super Bowl of the
world series "Grand Slam» (Rio de Janeiro)
4. London Olympics Games
At the Olympic Games
in London in 2012 he
won a bronze medal in
judo in the weight
category up to 81 kg,
beating the Japanese
Takahiro Nakai. Lost in
the finals to Korean
Kim Jae Bohm, who
later became the
champion in this weight
category.
5. State Award
The Medal "For Services to
the Motherland» II degree
(13 August 2012) - for
outstanding contribution to
the development of physical
culture and sports, high
athletic achievements at the
XXX Olympic Games 2012
in London (United
Kingdom)
6. Meeting the Hero at Home
August 5, 2012, International
Airport Barnaul, four in the
morning, everybody was
getting ready for the arrival
of the bronze medalist XXX
Summer Olympic Games in
London Ivan Nifontov. Altai
judoka earned a third
Olympic medal for the
Russian team.
The family and friends of
Ivan Nifontov thoroughly
prepared for the return of the
champion.
