Olga MINEYEVA

Olga Mineyeva did not emerge as a significant force in international women's distance running until comparatively late in her career, when she set a personal best of 1min 57.8sec over 800m in 1979 at the age of 27. Olga further reduced this to 1min 55.1sec when she beat a crack field of Soviet runners at the Znamenskiy Brothers memorial meet in Moscow on 6 July 1980. This spring boarded Mineyeva to one of the favourites for the 800m crown at the Moscow Olympic Games held later that month, which she confirmed by winning the first semi-final in 1min 57.5sec.

The other semi-final was won by compatriot Nadezhda Olizarenko, who immediately dashed to the lead in the final held two days later on 27 July. Mineyeva held back in the early stages, before moving up to second place after 300m, but she (see photo above, No. 278) was unable to catch the flying Olizarenko (No. 281), who went on to break the world record. Olga's silver medal-winning time of 1min 54.81sec was also under the existing world mark. Mineyeva's silver medal performance at Moscow was somewhat tarnished by her involvement in the controversy that surrounded the 4 x 400m relay. Mineyeva and teammate Lyudmila Chernova were members of the Soviet Union team which won its semi-final of the 4 x 400m relay on 31 July and advanced to the following day's final.

Absent from the semi-final line-up were Irina Bagryantseva and Nina Zyuskova, who had respectively finished fourth and fifth in the individual 400m event. Needless to say, there was considerable consternation when Mineyeva and Chernova produced medical certificates to explain their inability to compete in the final, and were replaced by the fresh Zyuskova and Bagryantseva, who proceeded to help the Soviet squad to a narrow victory over East Germany. (Ron Casey)

Women's 800m

Final. Olympic Games 1980

Olga Mineyeva underwent a rapid improvement in 1980, reducing her personal best in the 800m by three seconds, and winning the silver medal at the Moscow Olympic Games in the second fastest time ever recorded of 1min 54.81sec. By comparison, Olga had a relatively quiet time in 1981, although she chalked up a significant victory in the dual meet between the Soviet Union and the USA at Leningrad on 10 July, recording her season's best time of 1min 58.78sec. However, in 1982, she returned to her form of the 1980 season, with a number of significant wins early in the year, including a win in a dual meet against East Germany at Cottbus on 25 June, and capturing the Soviet national title at Kiev on 27 July.

The 800m race with the greatest depth in 1982 occurred at Podolsk on 21 August, where Mineyeva was victorious in a time of 1min 55.5sec, leading five of her countrywomen under 1min 57sec. Olga's time was the second fastest recorded up to that point in the season, trailing only the 1min 55.05sec produced by Doina Melinte (Romania) in her national championships on 1 August. A showdown between Mineyeva and Melinte occurred in the 800m final at the European Championships in Athens on 8 September, but the Romanian did not provide Olga with a serious challenge, finishing only sixth, while Olga won the gold medal (see photo above © G.H.8th. September 1982) in 1min 55.41sec, from teammate Lyudmila Veselkova (No. 875). Mineyeva won a second medal at the Championships

three days later, when she ran the third leg on the Soviet 4 x 400m relay team which won the bronze medal behind East Germany and Czechoslovakia. Olga continued to compete the following year, but at a much reduced level, and retired shortly afterwards. (Ron Casey) .

Women's 800m. Final.

European Athletics Championships 1982