Pavel Kolchin
# Pavel Kolchin

Pavel Konstantinovich Kolchin (sometimes spelled Pavel Koltsjin; Russian: Павел Константинович Колчин; 9 January 1930 – 29 December 2010) was a Soviet cross-country skier who competed during the 1950s and 1960s, training at Dynamo in Moscow. He was born in Yaroslavl.

He competed in two Winter Olympics, earning a total of four medals. His bronze in the 15 km (9 mi) at the 1956 Winter Olympics was the first ever medal awarded to a non-Scandinavian (Finland, Norway, and Sweden) in cross-country skiing. Kolchin also won at the Holmenkollen ski festival, winning both the 15 km (9 mi) and 50 km (31 mi) events in 1958. His wife, Alevtina Kolchina, was also an Olympic champion in cross-country skiing in 1964.

Kolchin also found success was at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, where he won three silver medals in 1958 (15 km, 30 km, and 4 x 10 km) and a bronze medal in 1962 (4 x 10 km).

Kolchin was awarded Order of the Red Banner of Labour (twice - in 1957 and 1972) and Order of the Badge of Honour (1970). For his successes at the Winter Olympics, the Nordic skiing World Championships and the Holmenkollen, Kolchin received the Holmenkollen medal in 1963 (Shared with his Alevtina Kolchina (his wife), Astrid Sandvik, and Torbjørn Yggeseth). Kolchin and Kolchina are the first husband and wife team to ever win the Holmenkollen Medal. Kolchin died on 29 December 2010.

