Faina Melnik
Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 16 December 2016 (aged 71) Moscow, Russia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 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) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Faina Grigorievna Veleva-Melnik (
Career
Melnik was 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. She had already broken the world record, at the 1971 European Athletics Championships, representing the then Soviet Union.[3] 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.[4]
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 was married to Velko Velev, a Bulgarian discus thrower who also competed at the 1976 and 1980 Olympics.[1]
She later became an inspiration for Miss Trunchbull in the Roald Dahl children's book Matilda.[5]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Faina Melnik. Sports-reference.com.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-903900-87-1.
- ^ "Soviet Woman Sets World Discus Mark". New York Times. 13 August 1971. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- ^ Records Outdoor Women Archived 11 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine. world-masters-athletics.org
- ^ "16 Seemingly Competent Movie Villains Who Were Foiled By Kids". Ranker.
External links
Media related to Faina Melnyk at Wikimedia Commons- Sporting Heroes bio
- dataOlympic profile
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European Athletics Championships champions in women's discus throw | |
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