Valery Kerdemelidi, a silver medalist in both the Olympics and world championships, as well as a coach and international judge, was laid to rest on Saturday in the village of Vasilyevskoye, located in the Moscow region of Russia. He passed away on November 10 at the age of 89.
His competitive career for the Soviet Union included notable achievements, such as winning team silver medals at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, the 1962 World Championships in Prague, and the 1966 World Championships in Dortmund. In those competitions, he finished 17th, tied for ninth, and came 12th in the all-around, respectively.
During the 1963 European Championships, Kerdemelidi secured two silver medals in the floor exercise and pommel horse events, along with three bronze medals in the all-around, vault (tie), and horizontal bar.
Domestically, Kerdemelidi’s accolades included first place overall at the 1960 Soviet Championships, as well as victories at the 1963 and 1967 USSR Cups.
After retiring from competitive gymnastics, he transitioned to coaching the Soviet national team and served as an international judge, also being a member of the technical committee for the European Gymnastics Union.
