Galina Bystrova was born in Azerbaijan, where her father served with the Soviet Border Guard, to a Russian family and grew up in Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod), where her family moved after her father’s service ended. Initially a gymnast, Bystrova took up athletics in 1952 after she met her future husband and athletics coach Vasily Bystrov. Known mainly as a pentathlete, she was also strong in individual events and made her international début at the 1956 Olympics, where she was fourth in the 80 hurdles. As pentathlon was included on the Olympic Program only in 1964, Bystrova also competed in the high hurdles at the 1960 Olympics, finishing fifth, before she got a chance to compete in her best event at the 1964 Olympics. By then past her prime, Bystrova settled for a pentathlon bronze in 1964. Besides her Olympic bronze, she won three European Championships – 1958 and 1962 in pentathlon; and 1958 in 80 hurdles. She also set three world records – 10.6 in 80 metre hurdles in 1958; and 4,846 in 1957 and 4,872 in 1958 in the pentathlon. Bystrova won six Soviet titles – 80 hurdles in 1957-59; 1956 long jump; and pentathlon in 1957 and 1958. After finishing her sports career, Bystrova worked as an athletics coach alongside her husband, at first in Gorky and later in Volgograd.
Personal Bests: 80H – 10.6 (1958); Pen – 4995 (1964).
Soviet Union
Azerbaijan