LEGACY
Master of Sports of Russia (MS) (Russian: Мастер спорта России (МС)) is a sports honorary title in the Russian Federation and a direct successor to the similar Soviet classification system.
As of the 1970s, there were following ranks for athletes of the USSR (listed in descending order of value):
- Merited Master of Sport of the USSR, (Russian: заслуженный мастер спорта СССР, abbreviated as "змс", sometimes translated as Honoured Master of Sport of the USSR), equates to international champion who has made valuable contributions to the sport
- Master of Sport of the USSR, International Class (Russian: мастер спорта СССР международного класса; abbreviated as "мсмк"), equates to international champion
- Master of Sport of the USSR (Russian: мастер спорта СССР; abbreviated as "мс"), equates to national champion
- Candidate for Master of Sport of the USSR (Russian: кандидат в мастера спорта СССР; abbreviated as "кмс"), equates to nationally ranked player
- First-Class Sportsman (Russian: спортсмен 1-го разряда), equates to regional champion
- Second-Class Sportsman (Russian: спортсмен 2-го разряда), equates to state champion
- Third-Class Sportsman (Russian: спортсмен 3-го разряда), equates to city champion
- First-Class Junior Sportsman (Russian: спортсмен 1-го юношеского разряда)
- Second-Class Junior Sportsman (Russian: спортсмен 2-го юношеского разряда)
- Third-Class Junior Sportsman (Russian: спортсмен 3-го юношеского разряда)]
This system was popular among Soviet satellite states and was used in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Poland, and Romania until the breakup of the USSR in 1991.