Olga Syrovatskaya-Mineyeva

Olga Mineyeva (née Syrovatskaya) took up athletics in high school and was selected for the Soviet national team in 1972 as a long sprinter. She competed at the 1972 Olympics, was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 400 and placed eighth with the Soviet 4x400 relay team. Mineyeva switched to middle-distances in the mid-70s and later became one of the top Soviet female middle-distance runners in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She won silver in the 800 at the 1980 Olympics, adding an 800 gold at the 1982 Europeans. Mineyeva won the Soviet 800 title in 1982, and won six lesser medals at the Soviet Championships. Mineyeva worked as a children’s coach in Yekaterinburg after finishing her sports career.

Personal Bests: 400 – 50.3 (1980); 800 – 1:54.81 (1980).