Eduard Georgievich Ivanov in Soviet times was a top-class hockey player. He played as a defensive player in the Soviet Union national team. His contribution to the development of domestic sports is rightfully rewarded with many victories and medals.
Biography
The famous hockey player was born in mid-spring in 1938 in an ordinary family. Ivanov's father and mother were working class people and were able to provide the future athlete with a fairly average standard of living. For the first time, the boy got acquainted with hockey at the "Young Pioneers" site, Vladimir Blinkov supervised his trainings.
From the very first lessons it became clear that Edward would be a world-class athlete. The guy came to training with the so-called "fire in his eyes." He was surprisingly confident that he would succeed in hockey. This attitude to the game made Ivanov one of the most beloved players among fans and coaches.
The young hockey player has always been distinguished by a strong physique, he was more than other training guys. Perhaps that is why, from the very first steps in this sport, he chose to become a defensive player. Played professionally for 15 years, winning numerous titles and cups. In his interviews, he never disclosed the details of his personal life. In 1968 he ceased to be considered a player and retired to a sports pension. After completing his career, his job became coaching. He died in January 2012.
Hockey career
The Moscow team "Khimik" became the first professional shelter of the future world-class defender. In the first two years of playing with this team, he managed to win many small tournaments and become the best player in the team. Playing for Moscow, Eduard Georgievich received his first portion of popularity.
Further, the talented player was invited to the most eminent club of that time - CSKA. The hockey player did not accept the invitation for many months, but in the early 60s a man who at that time coached the USSR national team talked to him in private. Anatoly Tarasov was able to persuade Ivanov and he moved to the main organization of the country.
It was there that Edward revealed himself almost completely, his game was flawless. With a height above average and muscle mass unusual for a hockey player, during matches he was an insurmountable obstacle for his opponent. Despite the fact that his role was defensive, Ivanov's attacks were incredibly accurate, he gained the fame of the most “scoring” defender.
When Ivanov first got to the Olympics, he managed to get the title of "Best Forward". The fact is that the hockey player played in his usual manner, went outside the protective zone, and accordingly often scored goals. Initially, the captain of the national team was put on this title, but the team's coach insisted that the Soviet players themselves choose a worthy athlete. According to the results of the competition, defender Eduard Ivanov became the best offensive player.
Achievements and victories
During his life, Ivanov received gold at the Olympics, was twice the world and European champion. 4 times became the champion of the Soviet Union in hockey. He took an honorable third place at the 1961 World Championship. On account of Edward, about four dozen goals scored in three hundred professional confrontations. In 1966-1967 he won two USSR Cups.
