 Complete the following phrase:  Smirnov made quick improvements in the 1985 season, establishing himself among the worlds best shot putters. His throw of for the gold medal at the 1985 European Cup held on home soil in Moscow was a championship record  one that would go unbeaten right up until the European Cup became defunct in 2009. He beat Alessandro Andrei and Udo Beyer both Olympic champions to win the event. His throw was the second best ever by a Soviet athlete at that point, behind only the mark of set by Sergey Kasnauskas the previous year. His first national title win came at the Soviet Athletics Championships, where he topped the podium with a throw of . He remained in good form at the 