Vera Samuilovna Krepkina (later Kalashnikova, Russian: Вера Самуиловна Крепкина (Калашникова); 15 April 1933 – 25 April 2023) was a Soviet-Ukrainian track and field athlete. She competed for the Soviet Union at the 1952, 1956, and 1960 Olympics. At all these Olympics she finished fourth in the 4 × 100 m relay and was eliminated in the heats of the 100 m sprint. In 1960, she also took part in the long jump and won a surprise gold medal with an Olympic record of 6.37 m, ahead of the defending champion Elżbieta Krzesińska and the world record holder Hildrun Claus.[2]
Krepkina (right) at the 1960 Olympics
| |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1933-04-15)15 April 1933[1] Kotelnich, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Died | 25 April 2023(2023-04-25) (aged 90) Kyiv, Ukraine |
| Height | 1.59 m (5 ft 3 in) |
| Weight | 58 kg (128 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | Sprints, long jump |
| Club | Lokomotiv Vologda Lokomotiv Kiev |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | 100 m: 11.3 (1958) Long jump: 6.37 m (1960) |
Medal record | |
At the European Championships she won gold medals in the 4 × 100 m relay in 1954 and 1958 and finished second in the 100 m in 1958.[3] She was a member of the Soviet team that set a world record in the 4 × 100 m relay in 1956, and she tied the world record (11.3 seconds) in the 100 meter dash in 1958. During her career Krepkina won eight Soviet titles: 100 m in 1952, 1957 and 1958; 200 m in 1952; 4 × 100 m relay in 1952, 1960 and 1965; and 4 × 200 m relay in 1952. In retirement she worked as a children's athletics coach in Ukraine.[2]
Krepkina died on 25 April 2023, at the age of 90.[4]
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