- Faina Melnyk
Faina Grigorievna Veleva-Melnik or Faina Hryhorivna Velieva-Melnyk ( _uk. Фаїна Григорівна Мельник or _ru. Фаина Григорьевна Велева-Мельник; born
July 9 ,1945 , in Bakota,Khmelnytskyi Oblast ,Ukrainian SSR ) was an Ukraininandiscus thrower ofJew ish descent, a1972 Summer Olympics champion in the discus event.She competed for VSS Sevan (1969-73), and later for VSS Spartak (1976-80).
She set the world record twice.
Melnik, one of the most dominant track and field athletes of the 1970s, held the # 1 ranking in women's discus from 1971-77, the third longest world's # 1 ranking streak in women's track and field history.
At the 1971 European Championships in Helsinki, during her international début, she set a world record in the discus throw (64.22 m).
In 1972 at the Munich Olympic Games, she established another World record (with her final throw) of 66.62 metres. During the contest she broke the Olympic record three times, with each of her three final throws.
She took her second European title in 1974 at Rome with a throw of exactly 69.00 metres.
Melnik was the first woman to break the 70-meter mark in 1975. Her personal best was 70.50 m in 1976. At the Olympic Games in 1976 she received a 4th place.
In 1977, she won the first World Cup discus competition in Dusseldorf.
A member of the
International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame , Melnick is currently a teacher inMoscow .References
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/athletics-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=435 Sporting Heroes bio]
* [http://www.databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=MELNIFAI01 dataOlympic profile]
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