Iosif Vitebskiy
Encyclopedia
Iosif Davidovich Vitebskiy ' onMouseout='HidePop("54833")' href="/topics/Kiev">Kiev
) is a former Soviet
Ukrainian
fencer
, and current US fencing coach.
and sport, Vitebskiy was a member of both the Soviet Union
and Ukrainian
national teams.
A 19-time national championship medalist — 10 gold, six silver, and three bronze medals — Vitebskiy was also a 3-time winner of both the Soviet Union
and the Europe Cup tournaments.
He was a member of the USSR team that won 3 consecutive World Championships (1967–69), and earned a silver medal
at the 1968 Summer Olympics
.
During his fencing career, Vitebskiy trained at Dynamo in Kiev.
In the summer of 1999, Vitebskiy won the gold medal in the Veteran 60 Men’s Épée at the Summer National Championships in Charlotte, N.C.
Republic National Team for 13 years, where he guided 5 épée fencers to national and Olympic championships.
Vitebskiy then served for 10 years (1988–98) as the Director of the school for high sport achievements at the State University of Ukraine.
in his 10th season
He currently coaches at Colorado Fencing Academy
In 1998-99, he helped guide the men’s team to its first Ivy League
title since 1983, while the men’s and women’s teams combined for a 7th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Vitebskiy helped the 2003-04 women’s squad claim its 10th Ivy title and finish the season ranked 4th by the USFCA. Under his tutelage, the Quakers women’s team also made history at the Intercollegiate Fencing Association (IFA) championships at the end of February, claiming its first-ever IFA title in 2004.
He, along with Dave Micahnik, guided the 2005-06 Penn women to 3rd place in the Ivy League
.
He now coaches at Colorado Fencing Academy
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
) is a former Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
fencer
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
, and current US fencing coach.
Early life and fencing career
A graduate of the Kiev State University with a degree in physical culturePhysical culture
Physical culture is a term applied to health and strength training regimens, particularly those that originated during the 19th century. During the mid-late 20th century, the term "physical culture" became largely outmoded in most English-speaking countries, being replaced by terms such as...
and sport, Vitebskiy was a member of both the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
national teams.
A 19-time national championship medalist — 10 gold, six silver, and three bronze medals — Vitebskiy was also a 3-time winner of both the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and the Europe Cup tournaments.
He was a member of the USSR team that won 3 consecutive World Championships (1967–69), and earned a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
at the 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
.
During his fencing career, Vitebskiy trained at Dynamo in Kiev.
In the summer of 1999, Vitebskiy won the gold medal in the Veteran 60 Men’s Épée at the Summer National Championships in Charlotte, N.C.
Coaching in Ukraine
He was head coach of the UkraineUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
Republic National Team for 13 years, where he guided 5 épée fencers to national and Olympic championships.
Vitebskiy then served for 10 years (1988–98) as the Director of the school for high sport achievements at the State University of Ukraine.
Coaching at the University of Pennsylvania
He was the assistant coach at the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in his 10th season
He currently coaches at Colorado Fencing Academy
In 1998-99, he helped guide the men’s team to its first Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
title since 1983, while the men’s and women’s teams combined for a 7th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Vitebskiy helped the 2003-04 women’s squad claim its 10th Ivy title and finish the season ranked 4th by the USFCA. Under his tutelage, the Quakers women’s team also made history at the Intercollegiate Fencing Association (IFA) championships at the end of February, claiming its first-ever IFA title in 2004.
He, along with Dave Micahnik, guided the 2005-06 Penn women to 3rd place in the Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
.
Personal life
Vitebskiy and his wife, Emma, reside in Denver, Colorado. They have two sons : Dmitriy, Alex, and granddaughter Anastasia.He now coaches at Colorado Fencing Academy