Faina Melnyk

Faina Melnyk

Faina Melnyk at the 1972 Olympics
Personal information
Nationality Ukrainian
Born 9 July 1945 (1945-07-09) (age 70)
Bakota, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Ukrainian SSR
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 88 kg (194 lb)
Sport
Country  Soviet Union
Sport Discus throw, shot put
Club Sevan Yerevan (1969–73)
Spartak Moscow (1976–80)
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) DT – 70.50 m (1976)
SP – 20.03 m (1976)

Faina Grigorievna Melnik (Ukrainian: Фаїна Григорівна Мельник, Russian: Фаина Григорьевна Велева-Мельник, born 9 July 1945) is a retired Soviet discus thrower, a 1972 Summer Olympics champion in the discus event. During her career she set 11 world records.[1][2]

Career

Faina Melnyk on a 2010 Armenian stamp

Melnik is Jewish, and was born in Bakota, Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine.[2] At the 1972 Summer Olympics, she broke the Olympic record three times, and set a world record at 66.62 metres. In 1976 she had her best ever discus throw of 70.50 m, but finished only fourth at the 1976 Summer Olympics. At those Olympics she also competed in the shot put and finished tenth. She failed to reach the final in the discus event at the 1980 Games.[1]

Continuing to throw after the 1980 Olympics, she set the masters world record in the W35 division that has stood since 1980.[3]

Melnik graduated from the Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry and later worked as a dentist and athletics coach in Moscow. Her trainees include Natalya Lisovskaya and Svetlana Krivelyova. Melnik is married to Velko Velev, a Bulgarian discus thrower who also competed at the 1976 and 1980 Olympics.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Faina Melnik. Sports-reference.com.
  2. 1 2 Paul Taylor (2004). Jews and the Olympic Games: The Clash Between Sport and Politics : with a Complete Review of Jewish Olympic Medallists. Sussex Academic Press. pp. 236–. ISBN 978-1-903900-87-1.
  3. Records Outdoor Women. world-masters-athletics.org

External links

Records
Preceded by
West Germany Liesel Westermann
Women's Discus World Record Holder
12 August 1971 – 23 September 1972
Succeeded by
Romania Argentina Menis
Preceded by
Romania Argentina Menis
Women's Discus World Record Holder
25 May 1973 – 12 August 1978
Succeeded by
East Germany Evelin Jahl
Awards
Preceded by
Poland Irena Szewińska
Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year
1975
Succeeded by
Soviet Union Tatyana Kazankina
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Romania Argentina Menis
Women's Discus Best Year Performance
1973–1976
Succeeded by
East Germany Sabine Engel


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