Malyukov first reached the world's top 25 in 1972, when he threw 72.02 m in Kharkiv and was ranked 18th on the world season list. In 1975 he was ranked eighth in the world (and fourth in the Soviet Union) by "Track &amp; Field News"; he was Soviet indoor champion in 15 kg weight throw that winter. In 1978 he had the fourth-best throw in the world at 78.32 m (behind West Germany's Karl-Hans Riehm and fellow Soviets Boris Zaychuk and Yuriy Sedykh), but at the European Championships in Prague he only managed 68.78 m and was eliminated in the qualification round. As in 1975, "Track &amp; Field News" ranked him eighth in the world.