Galina Zybina

Galina Ivanovna Zybina (Russian: Гали́на Ива́новна Зы́бина, born 22 January 1931) is a retired Russian athlete and coach. She competed in the shot put 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. Between 1952 and 1956 she set eight consecutive world records[3] and 14 national records in the shot put.[4] In 1953, she became the first woman to throw over 16 meters (16.20 m).[5]

Galina Zybina
Zybina at the 1952 Olympics
Personal information
Born22 January 1931 (1931-01-22) (age 90)
Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight80 kg (176 lb)
Sport
SportShot put
Discus throw
Javelin throw
ClubZenit St. Petersburg
Trud St. Petersburg[1]
Coached byViktor Alekseyev[2]
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)17.50 m (SP, 1964)
48.62 m (DT, 1955)
54.98 m (JT, 1958)[3]
Medal record
Representing  Soviet Union
Olympic Games
1952 HelsinkiShot put
1956 MelbourneShot put
1964 TokyoShot put
European Championships
1950 BrusselsJavelin
1954 BernShot put
1954 BernDiscus throw
1962 BelgradeShot put

Biography

As a child Zybina was much weakened by hunger and cold during the Siege of Leningrad in World War II, which killed her mother and brother,[4] while her father died at the front lines.[6] 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 on technique rather than strength. She was left out of the Soviet team before the 1968 Olympics and retired 1969, because of her age, although she was still a second-best Soviet shot putter. In retirement she worked as athletics coach in Värska, Estonia.[5]

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, but by 1960s was a museum ship.[5] In 1959 she gave birth to a son, which partly explains her poor performance at the 1960 Olympics.

References
  1. Zybina Galina Ivanovna. lesgaft.spb.ru
  2. Sergei Bavli (27 January 2008) Заветная черта Галины Зыбиной. sportsdaily.ru
  3. Galina Zybina. trackfield.brinkster.net
  4. Galina Zybina. Encyclopædia Britannica
  5. Galina Zybina Archived 4 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine. sports-reference.com
  6. German Popov (22 January 2001) Галина Зыбина. sovsport.ru (interview in Russian)


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