View source for Yuriy Borzakovskiy

{{Short description|Russian middle-distance runner}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
|name             = Yuriy Borzakovskiy
|image            = Yuriy Borzakovskiy, July 2019.jpg 
|image_size       = 
|caption          = Borzakovskiy in 2019
|sport            = Men's [[Sport of athletics|athletics]]
|event            = [[800 metres]]
|country={{RUS}}
|nationality      = [[Russians|Russian]]
|birth_date       = {{Birth date and age|1981|4|12|df=y}}
|birth_place      = [[Kratovo, Russia|Kratovo]], [[Russian SFSR]], [[USSR]]
|pb               = '''[[400 metres]]''': 45.84<ref name="IAAF">{{cite web|url=http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/russia/yuriy-borzakovskiy-137777|title=IAAF Profile for Yuriy Borzakovskiy}}</ref><br> '''[[800 metres]]''': 1:42.47<ref name="IAAF"/>
|medaltemplates   = 
{{Medal|Olympic}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens]]|[[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[World Athletics Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[2003 World Championships in Athletics|2003 Paris]]|[[2003 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[2005 World Championships in Athletics|2005 Helsinki]]|[[2005 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[2007 World Championships in Athletics|2007 Osaka]]|[[2007 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[2011 World Championships in Athletics|2011 Daegu]]|[[2011 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 800 metres|800 m]] }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[World Athletics Indoor Championships|World Indoor Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships|2001 Lisbon]]|[[2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships|2006 Moscow]]|[[2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[European Athletics Championships|European Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2012 European Athletics Championships|2012 Helsinki]]|[[2012 European Athletics Championships – Men's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[European Athletics Indoor Championships|European Indoor Championships]] }}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2000 European Indoor Championships in Athletics|2000 Gent]]|[[2000 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2009 European Indoor Championships in Athletics|2009 Torino]]|[[2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
}}

'''Yuriy Mikhailovich Borzakovskiy''' ({{langx|ru|Юрий Михайлович Борзаковский}}, {{lang|ru-latn|Jurij Michajlovič Borzakovskij}}, born 12 April 1981) is a Russian [[Middle-distance running|middle-distance runner]] specializing in the [[800 metres]].

==Early life==
Borzakovskiy was born at [[Kratovo, Russia|Kratovo]], in the [[Moscow Oblast]].  He was named for the Soviet [[cosmonaut]] [[Yuri Gagarin]].<ref>{{cite book|author1=Wallechinsky, David|author-link=David Wallechinsky|author2=Loucky, Jaime|year=2012|title=The Complete Book of the Olympics 2012 Edition|page=100|location=[[London]]|publisher=[[Aurum Press]]|isbn=978-1-84513-695-6}}</ref>

==Athletic career==
[[File:Yuriy Borzakovskiy Turin 2009 cropped.JPG|thumb|left|upright|Borzakovskiy taking gold at the [[2009 European Indoor Championships]]]]
Borzakovskiy's first major international success was a victory at the [[2000 European Athletics Indoor Championships|2000 European Indoor Championships]] when he was only 18 years old. At the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] he reached the [[Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's 800 metres|800 m final]], in which he finished sixth. In 2001 he won the World Indoor title over 800&nbsp;m but decided not to participate in the [[2001 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships in Edmonton]]. On 24 August 2001, Borzakovskiy posted a time of 1:42.47 minutes. That currently makes him the 12th fastest man in history over that distance.<ref>{{cite web|title=800 Metres – men – senior – outdoor|url=http://www.iaaf.org/records/toplists/middlelong/800-metres/outdoor/men/senior|publisher=IAAF|access-date=14 September 2022}}</ref> In addition, Borzakovskiy was ranked No.1 in the world in that year. In 2002, Borzakovskiy ran the 400&nbsp;m at the [[2002 European Athletics Championships|European Championships in Munich]] but was eliminated in the early stages. The following season he picked up a [[silver medal]] over 800&nbsp;m at the [[2003 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships in Paris]].

Borzakovskiy's greatest achievement was his victory in the 800&nbsp;m race at the [[2004 Summer Olympics|Athens Olympics]] in 2004. By this point, he was well known for sitting back until about the last 200 metres and then using a great kick to catch up and win, reminiscent of the tactics of [[United States]]'s [[Dave Wottle]]. At the Olympics he employed the same strategy, using this 'late charge' to come from behind in the last 150 meters to pass world record holder [[Wilson Kipketer]], who was leading with only 20 metres to go, and take the victory.  Borzakovskiy's decisive pass so deflated Kipketer that he allowed [[Mbulaeni Mulaudzi]] to nip him at the line. As of 2024, Borzakovskiy remains the last non-Kenyan Olympic champion in the 800 metres.

In the [[2005 World Championships in Athletics|2005 World Championships]] he took silver in the 800&nbsp;m competition, overtaking everyone but Bahrain's [[Rashid Ramzi]] on the final straight. Ramzi was disqualified from the 2008 Olympics for doping violations but so far has been allowed to keep his prior medals.  At the [[2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships|2006 World Indoor Championships]] he won a bronze medal. Borzakovskiy won a [[bronze medal]] at the [[2007 World Championships in Athletics|2007 World Championships]] in [[Osaka]]. The final ran at a very slow pace and he was boxed in on the final lap which slowed down his sprint in the last 100 m.

In 2008 he made an impressive comeback by posting a time of 1:42.79 minutes, his first time under 1:43 since 2001. He made the Olympic team at the [[2008 Summer Olympics|Beijing Olympics]] but unexpectedly failed to qualify for the 800&nbsp;m final, finishing only third in his semifinal heat.

In 2009 he won [[gold medal|gold]] at the [[2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships|European Indoor Championships]] in 1:48.55. On 23 August he placed fourth at the final of the 12th [[2009 World Championships in Athletics|IAAF World Championships in Berlin]] in 1:45.57. Most of his 2010 season was lost due to an injury.

In 2011, he achieved yet another podium finish with a bronze medal in the 800 meters at the [[2011 World Championships in Athletics|2011 IAAF World Outdoor Championships]].  In this race, Borzakovskiy ran most of the last lap in second place and was himself overtaken just before the finish line.

In 2012, he won the European Championships 800 metre gold medal, in Helsinki.  At the 2012 London Olympics, he failed to make the finals as he was eliminated in the semi-final round.

==See also==
*[[800 metres at the Olympics]]
*[[800 metres at the World Championships in Athletics]]
*[[List of 2004 Summer Olympics medal winners]]
*[[List of European Athletics Championships medalists (men)]]
*[[List of male middle-distance runners]]
*[[List of Olympic medalists in athletics (men)]]
*[[List of Russian sportspeople]]
*[[List of World Athletics Championships medalists (men)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Yuriy Borzakovskiy}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 800 m Men}}
{{Footer World Indoor Champions 800m Men}}
{{Footer European Champions 800 m Men}}
{{Footer European Indoor Champions 800m Men}}
{{Footer U23 European Champions 400m Men}}
{{Russian Athletics Championships men's 800 metres champions}}
{{Russian Athletics Championships men's 1500 metres champions}}
{{Footer WBYP 800m Men}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Borzakovskiy, Yuriy}}
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Ramensky District]]
[[Category:Athletes from Moscow Oblast]]
[[Category:Russian men middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:Olympic men middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Russia]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Russia]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships winners]]
[[Category:European Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:European Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:European Athletics Indoor Championships winners]]
[[Category:Russian Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:Mordvin people]]
[[Category:21st-century Russian sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century Russian sportsmen]]