Iosif Vitebskiy: Difference between revisions

Iosif Vitebskiy is a former Russian fencer, and current US fencing coach.

A graduate of the Kiev State University with a degree in physical culture and sport, Vitebskiy was a member of both the Soviet Union and Ukraine national teams.

A 19-time national championship medalist — 10 gold, six silver and three bronze medals — Vitebskiy was a 3-time winner of both the Soviet Union and the Europe Cup tournaments.

He is a former member of the USSR team that won 3 consecutive World Championships (1967-69) and earned a silver medal at the 1968 Olympic Games.

In the summer of 1999, Vitebskiy won the gold medal in the Veteran 60 Men’s Epee at the Summer National Championships in Charlotte, N.C.

He was head coach of the Ukraine Republic National Team for 13 years, where he guided 5 epee fencers to national and Olympic championships.

Vitebskiy then served for 10 years (1988-98) as the director of the school for high sport achievements at the State University of Ukraine.

He has been assistant coach for 9 seasons, through 2007, at the University of Pennsylvania.[ http://www.pennathletics.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=10615&SPID=607&DB_OEM_ID=1700&ATCLID=55920&Q_SEASON=2006]

In 1998-99, he helped guide the men’s team to its first Ivy League title since 1983, while the men’s and women’s teams combined for a 7th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

Vitebskiy helped the 2003-04 women’s squad claim its 10th Ivy title and finish the season ranked 4th by the USFCA. Under Micahnik’s and Vitebskiy’s tutelage, the Quakers women’s team also made history at the Intercollegiate Fencing Association (IFA) championships at the end of February, claiming its first-ever IFA title in 2004.

He, along with Dave Micahnik, guided the 2005-06 Penn women to 3rd place in the Ivy League.

Vitebskiy and his wife, Emma reside in Philadelphia. They have two sons: Dmitriy and Alex.

• University of Pennsylvania link
• Daily Pennsylvanian article