Born into a Cossack family, Zhabotinsky was exceptionally heavy, weighing 165 kg (364 pounds). At the 1964 Games in Tokyo Zhabotinsky battled his teammate Yury Vlasov in a dramatic contest, setting a world record in his final lift to win the gold. Renowned for his great zeal and win-at-any-cost attitude, Zhabotinsky pretended to concede defeat with one lift to go, as a ploy to unsettle Vlasov and the other competitors. He then returned for his final attempt, infuriating his opponents, and won with a total of 572.5 kg (1,262 pounds), setting a new Olympic record. Zhabotinsky was chosen by his nation to carry the Soviet flag at the beginning of the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.