Tamara BYKOVA

Tamara Bykova had a long and distinguished career in the high jump, setting three world records, and amassing an incredible array of medals in international competitions. Although Bykova only finished 9th at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games with a best jump of 1.88m, she produced a massive improvement on her personal best when she cleared 1.97m to win the Soviet national title six weeks later. At the 1981 World Cup in Rome, Bykova and Ulrike Meyfarth (West Germany) were the only two jumpers to clear 1.96m, but Tamara's effort was only good for the silver medal due to her earlier failures.

At the 1982 European Championships in Athens, Bykova cleared 1.97m, but again this was only good enough for second place behind Meyfarth's world record clearance of 2.02m. It was in 1983 however, that Bykova clearly established herself amongst the elite of the world's high jumpers. Firstly, she won the gold medal at the European Indoor Championships at Budapest with a clearance of 2.03m, which was the highest jump ever cleared in history, either indoors or outdoors

. At the World Championships in Helsinki on 9 August, Bykova and Meyfarth were the only two jumpers to clear 1.99m, but Bykova needed two attempts, whereas Ulrike made it on her first try, and therefore assumed the lead. Bykova then cleared 2.01m (see photo above) to win the gold medal, as Meyfarth was unable to match that height. They met again at the European Cup in London (Crystal Palace) on 21 August where Meyfarth cleared a new world record of 2.03m on her first attempt. Ten minutes later, Bykova equalled the new record, but it was on her second attempt, and thus it was Meyfarth who won the competition. Only four days later, at Pisa, Bykova claimed the world record in her own right when she cleared 2.04m. (Ron Casey)

There was no doubt that Tamara Bykova was the best high jumper in the world during 1983. She won the world title from Ulrike Meyfarth (West Germany), as well as first equalling Meyfarth's world record of 2.03m, and later taking sole possession of the world record with a 2.04m clearance. In 1984, Bykova continued to win the majority of the meets that she contested, and on 22 June, at Kiev, she increased her world record again when she cleared 2.05m on her second attempt. Unfortunately, due to the boycott by the eastern bloc countries of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Bykova was denied the opportunity to compete for the Olympic gold medal, which was won by Meyfarth in her absence.

In 1985, Tamara's best clearance for the year was 2.02m, which she achieved when she finished second behind rising young Bulgarian star Stefka Kostadinova at the European Cup final in Moscow. Later that year, in the World Cup in Canberra, she again finished second to Kostadinova with a 1.97m clearance. The following year was probably one that Bykova must have preferred to forget, as she failed to advance to the final at the European Championships in Stuttgart, when she was only able to clear 1.86m in the qualifying round. Bykova had a return to form in early 1987, firstly finishing second to Kostadinova at the European Indoor Championships, and then finishing fourth, again behind Kostadinova, at the World Indoor Championships in Indianapolis.

Bykova achieved her best jump for the year, and her highest clearance since 1984, when she scaled 2.04m at the World Championships in Rome to win the silver medal behind Kostadinova. Tamara finished the year with a third place finish at the Grand Prix final in Brussels with a best height of 1.97m (see photo above). (Ron Casey)

By the end of 1987, Tamara Bykova had amassed a long list of memorable achievements as an international high jumper, including three world records, a gold and silver medal at the World Championships, and a bronze medal at the European Championships. The only honour missing was an Olympic medal. Tamara finished 9th at the 1980 Olympics at the beginning of her international career, and she was denied the opportunity of competing at her peak in 1984 due to the Soviet boycott of the Los Angeles Olympics.

Bykovaís final chance for Olympic glory came at Seoul in 1988. In the high jump final at Seoul, on 30 September, Bykova was no match for the eventual winner Louise Ritter (USA), or the second-placegetter and world record holder Stefka Kostadinova (Bulgaria), but she did find herself in a close tussle for the bronze medal with compatriot Olga Turchak. Both Bykova and Turchak cleared 1.96m, but Turchak was lying in the bronze medal position as she had cleared that height on her first attempt, whereas Bykova had required two. Both athletes missed their first two attempts at 1.99m, before Bykova cleared on her third attempt (see photo above). Turchak then missed her final attempt at 1.99m, thus handing Bykova the bronze medal. Tamara finished second to Kostadinova at the World Indoor Championships in Budapest on 5 March 1989, but her career virtually went downhill from that point.

She received a three months ban when she tested positive for the drug ephedrine at the Goodwill Games in 1990, and consequently missed the European Championships held later that year. In March 1991, she won another silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in Seville, and in her last major championships appearance, she finished 7th at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo on 31 August. (Ron Casey)