World Championships are a little less than a month away, and many countries have already selected their final teams. Countries turn to the best gymnasts they have to represent their nation and the sport and in 1983, the Russian men’s team had the best all-around athlete in the world, Dmitry Bilozertchev.

Bilozertchev competed in his first World Championships at the young age of 16 in 1983, but he didn’t let his age or inexperience at World Championships stop him, he walked away that year with four titles. He won the gold on pommel horse, rings, horizontal bar, and the all-around. He also won the silver medal on floor. A year later, Bilozertchev then went to win 5 gold medals at the Olomouc Games, the games for countries that boycotted the Olympic Games hosted in Los Angeles, in 1984.

After winning in 1983 and 1984, he was a favorite for the 1985 World Championships, but was in a near fatal car accident which left his leg broken in nearly 40 places. As a result, his leg was almost amputated, but was saved because of his world champion status. In a remarkable recovery and comeback, Bilozerchev reclaimed his title of world all-around champion in 1987. The next year at the 1988 Seoul Olympics he won the pommel horse and still rings titles, and the Soviet team took the gold medal. He placed 3^rd in the all-around.

After his retirement from competitive gymnastics, Bilozertchev moved to the United States where he coached and lived in Oregon. After coaching on the west coast, he moved to take an assistant coaching position at Ohio State University, and also coached his son Alexy Bilozertchev onto the US Junior National team and the 2007 USA Junior All Around title.

In 2003, Bilozertchev was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame for his contribution to men’s gymnastics, his stellar performance in the 1980s, and for becoming the youngest male to ever win a world all-around title.

Here is Dmitry Bilozertchev's gold medal winning rings routine from the 1983 world championships.