Nina Otkalenko, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

    

Nina Otkalenko

Soviet distance runner

Date of Birth: 23-May-1928

Place of Birth: Kursk, Kursk Oblast, Russia

Date of Death: 13-May-2015

Profession: sprinter, athletics competitor, middle-distance runner

Nationality: Russia

Zodiac Sign: Gemini


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About Nina Otkalenko

  • Nina Grigoryevna Otkalenko (née Pletnyova; Russian: ???? ??????????? ?????????; 23 May 1928 – 13 May 2015) was a Soviet middle-distance runner.
  • She won a European title in the 800 m at the inaugural 1954 European Athletics Championships and set multiple world records in this event in 1951–54.
  • She missed the 1952 and 1956 Olympics, where women's middle-distance events were not part of the program, and the 1960 Olympics due to an injury.In the 1950s Otkalenko became the most successful record breaker in the women's 800 m event.
  • Starting with a world record of 2:12.0 minutes in 1951, she went on to improve her own 800 metres world record four more times.
  • Spearheading a significant improvement in women's times in the event over her career, her last world record of 2:05.0 minutes in 1955 stood for almost five years, before it was beaten by her compatriot Lyudmila Shevtsova.
  • She ranked number one in the world in the 800 m every year from 1951 to 1958, bar 1956 and 1957 when she ranked second to Lyudmila Lysenko and Yelizaveta Yermolayeva.
  • She also set world records in the pre-IAAF era, with a 400 m record of 55.5 in 1954 and a 1500 m record of 4:37.0 minutes in 1952.Outside of her European title, she won medals at the World Festival of Youth and Students, twice winning the 800 m title in 1953 and 1955, as well as taking 400 metres silver medals at both those championships.
  • She was highly successful in domestic competition, ending her career with a total of 22 Soviet titles in track and field and cross country disciplines.

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