Boris the Cheat

Boris Onischenko

In tennis, have you ever called your opponant's shot 'out' when you knew it was in?

Have you ever started a race before the word 'go?'

And have you ever used a steadying thumb in the egg and spoon race?

Why do we do these things? Simple. We want to win.  And if we think that a dodgy line call, a little head start or a thumb will help us achieve this, then why not? - especially if we can do it without anyone noticing...

...But what if someone did?

Here's the story of one man who almost pulled off the most amazing cheat ever to help him win. But this wasn't any old game or race or sports day against friends. This was the Olympic Games.

It was 1976 and the Olympic Games were being held in Montreal, Canada. At this time, Russia and Great Britain were bitter enemies. A 'cold war' had raged for a number of years between the 'eastern' countries, including Russia, and the 'western' countries, including Great Britain. There hadn't been any physical combat between east and west, but there was tense rivalry over who had the largest collection of nuclear weapons, the most sophisticated technology, the most successful economy and, more importantly for this story - who had the greatest sportsmen and women in the world.

One of the most popular Olympic events at the time of the Montreal Olympics was the Modern Pentathlon. This event had been created by the founder of the modern games, Pierre de Coubertin. It was modelled on all the skills required to be a brilliant soldier in the cavalry.
 
The five events included horse riding, pistol shooting, fencing, swimming and running. Each athlete had to compete in all 5 disciplines. Medals were awarded for the best individual competitors and for the best team effort.

Great Britain and Russia each had very strong teams competing in the Modern Pentathlon. All was set for an Olympic 'cold war battle.' East v West. Russia v Great Britain.

Heading up the Russian team was Boris Onischenko - a half colonel in the KGB - the much feared Russian Secret Police. He had already won medals in the previous two Olympic games, and was regarded highly by all his fellow Olympians - particularly for his fencing skills.

In the British team was a dashingly handsome sergeant in the British army, Jeremy Fox - known as Jim.
It was Jim Fox's 4th Olympic games. In the last games in Munich, he had finished in 4th place in the men's individual event, narrowly missing out on a medal. He and Boris had come to know each other over the years, and despite the rivalry they fully respected each other.

The first event was show jumping, and after everyone had competed, the British team lay in 3rd place with the Russians only 76 points behind. Jim Fox and his team mates had hoped for a stronger lead at this stage because the next discipline was fencing - and this was Russia's strongest event.

The first fencing match was between Jim Fox's team mate Adrian Parker and Boris Onischenko. Adrian Parker was a decent fencer, but his strongest event was swimming. On paper, he was no match for Boris Onischenko who excelled at the sport. No-one expected Parker to get the better of Onischenko, but after watching the match, Fox felt uneasy about the way that Onischenko had beaten his team mate. Something wasn't quite right.

In fencing, competitors score a 'hit' when their sword (epee)  touches the opponant's target area. An electric circuit is completed with each 'hit' and this illuminates a light.

Jim Fox, after watching the match between Parker and Onischenko, was convinced that the light had been coming on and registering a 'hit' when Onischenko's epee hadn't been anywhere near Parker.

When it came to his turn to fence against Onischenko, Fox decided to try something out to see if he was right.
During the bout, Onischenko lunged forwards, arm extended, reaching with his epee for a hit on Fox's body. Fox anticipated the move, and leaned backwards leaving a good 6 inches between his body and the point of Onischenko's sword.

Sure enough, the light came on and a 'hit' was registered to Onischenko.

Jim Fox had seen enough. He asked the officials to examine Onischenko's weapon and they agreed - thinking that perhaps the Russian's sword had been faulty. They sent it away to be checked by technicians and gave Onischenko a replacement. He went on to beat Fox easily and recorded eight wins out of nine matches that day. He was a formidable fencer.

Later that day, to everyone's disbelief,  technicians revealed that Onischenko's sword had been rigged with a push button device. When the button was pressed, it made the light come on registering a 'hit' - even when no contact had been made with the opponant. Whenever Onischenko lunged forward, he'd press the button and the light would come on.

Jim Fox's suspicions were correct. Onischenko had been cheating.

As soon as the news got out, the Russian team were disqualified and Onischenko was sent home in disgrace. Team mates threatened to throw him out of the hotel window, and after a few years, it was rumoured that the talented Russian pentathlete had been banished to the salt mines of Siberia.

The British team went on to win the gold medal after the Russian team's disqualification. Fox needed oxygen as he crossed the line after running the final leg of the cross country that secured their victory.

The British team win gold

British newspapers enjoyed the scandal, and gloated over the team's victory. 'Boris Dis-Onischenko' the headlines screamed, 'Boris the Cheat.'

Jim Fox

It was a good opportunity to get 'one up' in the 'cold war.'

But Fox didn't see it that way. He struggled to understand how a man that he fully respected would cheat in such an extravagant and pre-meditated fashion. He also felt bad that it was he who had unmasked him. The revelations had caused an international outcry, and the man he'd occasionally shared a vodka with had been made to vanish into thin air.

Cheating has always been a part of sport whether we like it or not. It's often motivated by the desire to win, or even from the fear of losing.

The strange thing about the whole Modern Pentathlon incident in 1976 however, was that Onischenko hadn't needed to cheat. He was the best fencer in the competition - and once his cheating sword was taken from him, he proved it.

We'll never know why Boris the Pentathlete became Boris the Cheat. But one thing is for certain - on this occasion, the swindling swordsman was completely out-Foxed.