Lyudmila Dzhigalova

Lyudmila Dzhigalova took up athletics in 1975 and was selected for the Soviet national team in 1986. At the 1988 Olympics, Dzhigalova ran in the heats of 4x400 relay, and won a gold medal when the Soviet team won the final in world record time. Four years later, Dzhigalova was on the Unified Team’s 4x400 relay team that won gold. Her other relay titles included the 1990 Goodwill Games and 1991 World Championships in the 4x400. In the open 400, Dzhigalova won silver at the 1987 Universiade and 1990 Goodwill Games, and bronzes at the 1989 Universiade and 1992 World Cups.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Dzhigalova continued to compete, representing Ukraine and was scheduled to compete at the 1993 World Championships. But before the championships, Dzhigalova failed an out-of-competition drugs test, testing positive for anabolic steroids and received a four-year ban from the IAAF, which effectively ended her career. Dzhigalova won the Soviet 400 title in 1990 and 4x400 relay title in 1986. After her forced retirement from sports, Dzhigalova worked as a lecturer of physical education department at H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University.

Personal Best: 400 – 49.9 (1988).