He competed for the Soviet Union in the 1980 Summer Olympics held in Moscow, Soviet Union in the individual sprint event, where he finished in third place.[1] In 1981, he won the world amateur sprint championship gold medal. In 1982, he successfully defended his title against his main rival of the time, East Germany's Lutz Heßlich. In 1983, he focused on the 1 km time trial, capturing the world championship in Switzerland. The Soviet boycott of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics prevented him from competing for an Olympic gold medal.
