Galina Zybina

Galina Ivanovna Zybina (Russian: Гали́на Ива́новна Зы́бина; 22 January 1931 – 10 August 2024) was a Soviet and Russian athlete and coach. She competed in the shot put at the 1952, 1956, 1960 and 1964 Olympics and finished in first, second, seventh and third place, respectively; in 1952, she also finished fourth in the javelin throw. Between 1952 and 1956, she set eight consecutive world records^[3] and 14 national records in the shot put.^[4] In 1953, she became the first woman to throw over 16 meters when she threw 16.20 m.^[5]

Galina Zybina

Zybina at the 1952 Olympics
Personal information
Born	22 January 1931 (1931-01-22) Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russia)
Died	10 August 2024 (2024-08-11) (aged 93) Saint Petersburg, Russia
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight	80 kg (176 lb)
Sport
Sport	Shot put Discus throw Javelin throw
Club	Zenit Leningrad Trud Leningrad[1]
Coached by	Viktor Alekseyev[2]
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	17.50 m (SP, 1964) 48.62 m (DT, 1955) 54.98 m (JT, 1958)[3]
Medal record Representing  Soviet Union Olympic Games 1952 Helsinki Shot put 1956 Melbourne Shot put 1964 Tokyo Shot put European Championships 1950 Brussels Javelin 1954 Bern Shot put 1954 Bern Discus throw 1962 Belgrade Shot put

Biography

As a child Zybina was much weakened by hunger and cold during the Siege of Leningrad in World War II, which killed her mother and brother,^[4] while her father died at the front lines.^[6] Yet, by 1950, she had become a top Soviet thrower and won a bronze in the javelin at the European championships. During her entire career as a competitor and coach Zybina accentuated technique rather than strength. Owing to her age, she was left out of the Soviet team before the 1968 Olympics and retired in 1969, although she was still the second-best Soviet shot putter at the time. In retirement she worked as athletics coach in Värska.^[5]

Zybina was married to Yury Fyodorov, a Russian captain and commander of the Russian cruiser Aurora in 1964–85. The cruiser was famous for starting the 1917 October Revolution, but by the 1960s was a museum ship.^[5] In 1959, she gave birth to a son, which caused her to demonstrate a sub-par performance at the 1960 Olympics (seventh place).

Zybina died on 10 August 2024, at the age of 93.^[7]