Alevtina Kolchina

As a child, Alevtina Kolchina suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis, but her grandmother’s treatment and rest in the Crimea cured her of this disease. Kolchina was the most successful female Soviet cross-country skier of the 1950s, and she and her husband Pavel Kolchin are still the most successful cross-country skiing husband and wife and are the only husband and wife to both win the Holmenkollen Medal (1963).

Alevtina had a very long ski career, winning her first medals at the Soviet championships in 1954 (silver at 5 km and bronze in the relay) and her last medals in 1970 (silver at 10 km and bronze at 5 km). Throughout her career Kolchina won 13 Soviet Championships – 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962, and 1963 in the 5 km; 1959 and 1962-64 in the 10 km; and 1956, 1959, 1960, and 1963 in the relay. Internationally, besides her five Olympic medals, Kolchina won seven World Championships: 10 km and relay in 1958; 5 km, 10 km, and relay in 1962; and 5 km and relay in 1966; adding a silver in the 10 km in 1966. She also won 10 km (1961-63) and 5 km (1966) races at Holmenkollen.

In 1973, the Kolchins moved to Otepää, Estonia and later worked as cross-country ski coaches there, also serving the Estonian national cross-country skiing team in various administrative positions. The Kolchina’s son Fjodor Koltšin also competed at the Olympics, placing 15th in Nordic combined at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics.