The USSR (Soviet Union) shooters were the world powerhouse in rifle shooting until 1962, thanks in large part to Col. Anatoli Ivanovich Bogdanov. Bogdanov and his teammates outshot the world in three straight Olympics and World Championships. Bogdanov was the world's greatest rifle shooter during the 1950s.
Gary Anderson was inspired by Bogdanov (see "No Coach, No Team, No Money") and knew by the age of 17 (in 1956) that he wanted to beat Bogdanov at his own game and went to work using Bogdanov's training methods that he learned from studying a Russian article translated for The American Rifleman (see "The Article from the Archives").
Bogdanov's last international competition was the 1959 European Championship. He ended his career with two Olympic gold medals and six individual world championships. Gary's breakthrough international competition was the 1962 World Championship in Cairo. It became his goal to equal Bogdanov's record and become the world's greatest rifle shooter during his decade, the 1960s. From 1962 through 1966 Gary had won one Olympic gold medal and seven world championships. He was looking for gold medal number two in 1968 in Mexico City.
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| The leather mitten rejected by Anatoli Bogdanov who worked as a judge in Mexico City |
During the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Anatoli Bogdanov was on the ISSF Rifle Jury. Gary first met Bogdanov in person when he brought his rifle and equipment to the Jury for checking before the competition. Instead of using a commercial shooting glove, Gary always used a plain leather mitten with a hand-knitted liner. When he presented this unconventional glove to the Jury, Bogdanov rejected it because it was in two pieces, even though it was much thinner than the allowed maximum. Gary viewed this a Soviet harassment and was disappointed that it came from Bogdanov. Gary then dropped out of line, went back to his friend Ralph Rodriquez from Puerto Rico who was standing in the inspection line behind him. He asked Ralph to take the glove through inspection to see what would happen. Ralph agreed and the glove was approved without any questions! Ironically, Rodriquez is right handed and Gary Anderson is left handed!
During the standing competition, the USSR team leader complained to the Rifle July Chairman, Otto Horber, that Gary's shooting jacket was illegal. At the time, international rules required jackets to hang loosely and not provide "undue support." The jackets could not be more than five millimeters thick in the body, six millimeters thick in the padded areas. Horber brought out the calipers and measured the jacket during the match while Gary was shooting in the standing position. Horber determined that the jacket was legal and told Gary to continue firing.
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| Gary in standing position with the leather mitten. |
Bogdanov and the Russians may have gotten some satisfaction from this attempt to break Gary's concentration, but the Russians did not know that Gary had mentally rehearsed every possible scenario that could go wrong during the Olympic competition, including Soviet intimidation. This EXACT scenario was rehearsed in Gary's mind before the competition, including this intervention by the very man who was Chairman of the Rifle Jury, Otto Horber. Gary won his second Olympic Gold Medal in spite of the Russian harassment.
There was another face to face meeting with Bogdanov. During the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow (the Games President Carter boycotted), Gary was in Moscow now as a Jury Member. Bogdanov invited him to dinner. Bogdanov's sister also came to dinner. She spoke German; Gary spoke some German, and between the three of them, they enjoy a great conversation and evening together. They met as friends who truly respected each others' accomplishments and the 1968 incidents never came up. Gary always felt that when Bogdanov was on the 1968 Jury, he was doing what he was told to do and that his actions were never personal.
Gary Anderson and Anatoli Bogdanov meet in 1980.
That was the last time Gary saw Bogdanov. In the end Gary out-Bogdanoved him. The world's greatest marksman in 1952 had two Olympic Gold Medals and six World Championships. Before Gary retired from international competition in 1967, he had two Olympic Gold Medals, seven Individual World Championships, six Individual World Records, 2 Pan American Games Gold Medals and 16 National Championships.
And he still has the leather mitten. The wool liner was knitted by Ruth Ann.
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