Boris Nikitin

For Russian footballer, see Boris Nikitin (footballer).

Boris Nikitin

Personal information
Born	(1938-03-05)5 March 1938 Tbilisi, USSR
Died	20 October 1984(1984-10-20) (aged 46) Georgia SSR, USSR
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	72 kg (159 lb)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Club	Dynamo Tbilisi
Medal record Representing Soviet Union Summer Olympics Bronze medal – third place 1956 Melbourne 4×200 m freestyle European Championships Gold medal – first place 1958 Budapest 4×200 m freestyle Silver medal – second place 1958 Budapest 400 m freestyle

Boris Vasilievich Nikitin (Russian: Борис Васильевич Никитин; 5 March 1938 – 20 October 1984) was a Soviet freestyle swimmer. He had his best achievements in the 4 × 200 m relay, in which he set a world record in 1956, and won a bronze medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics and a gold medal at the 1958 European Aquatics Championships; his team finished eighths at the 1960 Olympics. Individually, he won a European silver medal in the 400 m freestyle in 1958, but did not reach the final in that event at the 1956 Olympics.

Between 1956 and 1962 he set five European records in the 4 × 200 m freestyle, 400 m freestyle and 400 m medley events. He won six national titles, in the 400 m (1956–1960) and 1500 m freestyle disciplines (1957).