Ice hockey defenseman Yuri Lyapkin won a gold medal with the undefeated Soviet Union team at the 1976 Olympics.

He was also a key member of Soviet World Championships in 1970/71, 72/73, 73/74, 74/75, and won a silver medal in 75/76.

Lyapkin played for Elite League teams HC Spartak Moscow and Khimi Voskresensk for 13 seasons. He was inducted into the Russian-Soviet Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973.