Nicknames: "Russo" "Vlad"
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175 pounds
Birthplace: Vladivostok, Russia
High School: Silverado H.S. (Las Vegas) '04
College: University of Nevada - Las Vegas (UNLV) '09
MaJor: Business Marketing
Coach: Terry Blackburn
Dojang: Two Dragons Taekwondo (TDT)
World Ranking on 9/1/12: T-59th (-74kg); T-195th (-80kg)
Also competed in football and indoor soccer while in high school...hobbies include anything that pushes the limits: car racing, cliff diving, experimenting with new foods in the kitchen ("Now that's really dangerous") and making people around him laugh...his father was an amateur boxer and champion of the Primorsky Region in Russia...favorite food is Subway...before a competition he tries to load up on carbohydrates and protein the day before with pasta and chicken, then on the day of the event he eats nutritional supplements and bars...favorite athletes are Michael Jordan for his sheer athletic ability, Ramon Dekker for the drive and inexorable desire, Mike Tyson for power, and Muhammad Ali for exploring the limits of sport and society...favorite movies are Hitch and Bad Boys II...enjoys the music of Lil' Wayne and Eminem which keeps him focused before a fight...lists Mexico as his favorite country visited for competition because they had the best fajitas he has ever eaten.
Did You Know?: Vladimir is terrified of heights but cannot stay away from roller coasters and bungee jumping.
Quotable Vladimir Sokolov: "I believe life is simple...you make choices and you don't look back. In the end I just hope to have made contributions to the lives of those around me, as they did for me. I would like to thank those who have supported me throughout my journey, and especially thank those who have doubted, as that only made me stronger and more determined. Thanks to my mom who always told me to never stop dreaming, and my dad who always made me work hard. I am now on my way to realizing those dreams into a reality."
Competition Record:
2010 Nevada State Championships (Light): GOLD
2010 U.S. Open (Light): GOLD
2009 U.S. National Team Trials (Light): 2nd
2009 National Team Qualifier (Light): 1st
2008 USAT San Jose National Qualifier: SILVER
2007 USAT Dallas National Qualifier: BRONZE
2005 Mexico Open
last updated 9/13/12