Russian athlete back in Kiev

Press, 22 July 1976, Page 30

Russian athlete back in Kiev

NZPA-Reuter Montreal Boris Onishchenko flew back to Russia only hours after judges disqualified him for cheating in the fencing section of the modern pentathlon on Tuesday. A Soviet teaiu spokesman told NZPA-R.uter yesterday that Onishchenko, who won the silver nied*l at Munich and is one of the bestknown pentathlon competitors, had been taken by Soviet officials to Montreal Airport on Tuesday night. “He is now back in his home town of Kiev,’’ the spokesman said.

In the first comment from the Soviet team on the disqualification, the team spokesman added: “It is a very sad matter and he will probably be stripped of all his medals and honours back home.”

According to the official at the Soviet team headquarters, Onishchenko was taken quietly from his room al the

Olympic Village and driven to the airport in a private car.

He was accompanied on the flight to Kiev by officials. “I am sure the matter will be investigated but I fear his career as a sportsman is over,” the Soviet official said.

The hasty departure trom Montreal of the 38-year-old Russian champion followed a bizarre incident in the pentathlon on Tuesday when judges found he used an illegal electronic device to score hits in the fencing competition. The device was discovered during a contest against Jim Fox, of Britain, another veteran pentathlon competitor. Onishchenko lunged at his opponent and Fox leaped back to avoid the tip of the blade. But to the surprise of the British fencer, the miss showed a hit on the electronic scoring machine.