Viktor Arsenevich Kapitonov (Russian: Виктор Арсеньевич Капитонов, 25 October 1933 – 2 March 2005) was a Russian road cyclist who competed at the 1956 and 1960 Summer Olympics. In 1956, he finished 32nd individually and 6th with the Soviet team. In 1960, he won the individual road race and finished third in the 100 km team time trial. His gold medal was the first for Soviet cyclists. At the end of the race Kapitonov mistakenly sprinted for the finish with one lap to go, surprising his main rival Livio Trapè. In the last lap Trapè sprinted first, but Kapitonov caught him up in the last few meters.[1][2]
Kapitonov was part of the Soviet teams that won the Peace Race in 1958, 1959, 1961 and 1962. He retired in 1965 and until 1985 coached the Soviet road racing team. He coached the Russian team in the 1993–96 Olympic cycle. In 1983, he defended a PhD in pedagogy.[1]
