The 1976 Winter Games gold winners medal presented to the Soviet Union’s Nikolai Kruglov, Sr., for the biathlon relay. Medal is 72mm in diameter, 4.2 mm in thickness, and weighs approximately 164 grams. Medal retains its original red and white ribbon and is housed in its original red leather presentation box emblazoned with the Games’s official logo on the cover in gold. The winners medal was minted by the Austrian Mint and was designed by M. Coufal. One side of the medal features a relief of the Olympic flame and the Bergisel ski jump and Alps in the background, with “Biathlon–Staffel [relay]” in raised letters, as well as the artist’s name. Other side features the official 1976 Olympics emblem, with raised letters around the outside border. Edge is marked “A925” on the outside edge by the ribbon’s loop. In extra fine condition.
This very medal was presented to Nikolai Kruglov who was one of four members of the Soviet biathlon relay team which captured the gold in the 4 x 7.5km relay, with a winning time of 1:57:55:64, beating second-place Finland by over three minutes. Kruglov would also win an individual gold for the 20km individual biathlon, as well as several medals in the World Championships from 1977–1979. This rare medal is one of only 71 issued in Innsbruck, due to the fact only 1128 athletes competed in the Games. A very handsome and complete medal from the best biathlete in the 1976 Games. Gold winners medals such as this are highly coveted by the most advanced of Olympiad collectors.
