He won a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics and three world titles in 1961–1963.

He also set 15 world records between 1958 and 1964: two in the press, four in the snatch, four in the clean and jerk, and five in the total.

[1][2] Kurynov started training in weightlifting in 1954 while studying at the Kazan Aviation Institute.

[1] Kurynov retired shortly after finishing third at the 1967 national championships, and then briefly worked as a weightlifting coach.

He suddenly died of a kidney failure in 1973, aged 39, and was buried in Arskoe Cemetery.