Nataliya Pechonkina-Chistyakova

Before the 1968 season, Nataliya Pechonkina (née Burda) was virtually unknown, having won only two silvers (200 and 4x100 relay) at the 1964 European Youth Games. In 1967 Pechonkina was selected for the Soviet national team and made her senior international début at the 1968 European Indoor Championships, where she won gold at 400 and silver in the 4x1 lap relay. She next competed at the 1968 Olympics, where she won a surprising bronze in the 400 with a time of 52.25, which would remain her personal best. In 1970 Pechonkina married fellow Olympic athlete Valentin Chistyakov and under his name won bronze in the 4x400 relay at the 1971 European Championships and also competed at the 1972 Olympics, where she was eighth with the Soviet 4x400 relay team. She also won gold in the 4x200 relay at the 1971 European Indoor Championships and silver in the 4x2 laps relay at the 1972 European Indoor Championships. Pechonkina won six Soviet titles – 400 in 1968-69 and 1971; 4x100 relay in 1968; and 4x400 relay in 1971-72. Her son Viktor Chistiakov also became a track & field athlete, finishing fifth in the pole vault at the 2000 Olympics, and her grandchildren Elizabeth and Vicky Parnov became international level pole vaulters representing Australia.

Personal Best: 400 – 52.25 (1968).