Olha Bryzhina

Olha Bryzhina was the top female long sprinter of the World in the late 1980s and early 90s. Bryzhina competed at two Olympic Games and two World Championships and won three Olympic golds (1988 400 and 1988/1992 4×400) and Olympic silver (1992 400) and two World titles (1987 400 and 1991 4×400) and a World Championship silver in 1987 in the 4×400. She also won 400 silver at the 1986 European Championships. Bryzhina was part of one world record, when she ran the Soviet 4×400 anchor leg at the 1988 Olympics, helping set a world record of 3:15.18 in the final, as she held off Florence Griffith Joyner in one of the greatest races ever run. As of January 2012, the record still stands. Bryzhina was also Soviet 400 champion in 1984-86 and 1991. She is married to fellow Soviet/Ukrainian sprinter Viktor Bryzhin, who won gold in the 4×100 relay at the 1988 Olympics and their daughter Yelyzaveta Bryzhina is a Ukrainian sprinter who won two medals at the 2010 European Championships and a 4x100 m relay bronze at the 2012 Olympics.

Personal Best: 400 – 48.27 (1985).