Galina Ivanovna Zybina (; 22 January 1931 – 10 August 2024) was a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

and Russian athlete and coach. She competed in the

shot put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...

at the 1952, 1956, 1960 and 1964 Olympics and finished in first, second, seventh and third place, respectively; in 1952, she also finished fourth in the

javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about in length, is thrown as far as possible. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running within a predetermined area. Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's de ...

. Between 1952 and 1956, she set eight consecutive

world records A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizatio ...

and 14 national records in the shot put. In 1953, she became the first woman to throw over 16 meters when she threw 16.20 m.

Biography

As a child Zybina was much weakened by hunger and cold during the

Siege of Leningrad The siege of Leningrad was a Siege, military blockade undertaken by the Axis powers against the city of Leningrad (present-day Saint Petersburg) in the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front of World War II from 1941 t ...

in World War II, which killed her mother and brother, while her father died at the front lines. Yet, by 1950, she had become a top Soviet thrower and won a bronze in the javelin at the European championships. During her entire career as a competitor and coach Zybina accentuated technique rather than strength. Owing to her age, she was left out of the Soviet team before the 1968 Olympics and retired in 1969, although she was still the second-best Soviet shot putter at the time. In retirement she worked as athletics coach in

Värska Värska () is a small borough () in Setomaa Parish, Võru County in southeastern Estonia. At the 2021 Census, the settlement's population was 414. It is the most populous village of the Paris History Värska was first mentioned in written sources ...

. Zybina was married to Yury Fyodorov, a Russian captain and commander of the Russian cruiser ''Aurora'' in 1964–85. The cruiser was famous for starting the 1917

October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...

, but by the 1960s was a

museum ship A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small numb ...

. In 1959, she gave birth to a son, which caused her to demonstrate a sub-par performance at the 1960 Olympics (seventh place). Zybina died on 10 August 2024, at the age of 93.Скончалась одна из первых советских олимпийских чемпионок Галина Зыбина

References

External links

* 1931 births 2024 deaths Athletes from Saint Petersburg Soviet female shot putters Olympic athletes for the Soviet Union Athletes (track and field) at the 1952 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1956 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1960 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics Honoured Masters of Sport of the USSR Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Olympic gold medalists for the Soviet Union Olympic silver medalists for the Soviet Union Olympic bronze medalists for the Soviet Union European Athletics Championships medalists Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1952 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field) Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field) Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field) World record setters in athletics (track and field) {{Russia-discusthrow-athletics-bio-stub