Tamara Bykova
Encyclopedia
Tamara Vladimirovna Bykova is a former Russian track and field
athlete and Olympic medal winner. She was born in Rostov on Don, Rostov Oblast
, Russian SFSR.
. She won an unbelievable amount of awards and medals, especially since her biggest competitor was the German Ulrike Meyfarth
, who most often won during head-to-head competitions.
At the 1980 Summer Olympics
in Moscow
she participated in her first big international event, but with a jump of only 1.88 meters she was not in the best form. She finished in 9th place. Six weeks later she won the Soviet championship with a jump over 1.97 meters. At the 1981 World Cup in Rome
she and Meyfarth were the only athletes to jump over 1.96 meters, but this was only good enough for second place for Bykova as Meyfarth went on to set a new world record with a jump over 2.02 meters. At the 1982 European championship in Athens
she jumped 1.97 again but still finished second to Meyfarth. Then, at the 1983 European Indoor Championship in Budapest, she was finally able to jump over 2.03 meters, which won her the gold and also was a new world indoor record.
At the World Championship in Helsinki
the last two jumpers were Meyfarth and Bykova. Both had jumped over 1.99 meters, but only Bykova could manage the next height, winning at 2.01 meters. The next meeting between the two came at the European Cup in Crystal Palace
in London
. This time Meyfarth set a new world record by jumping over 2.03 meters, but only a few minutes later the Russian jumped over the same height, however she had needed one more attempt than the German and had to settle yet again for second place. Only four days later the two met again, this time in Pisa
. Once again the two were the last two jumpers. This time though, Bykova came out on top with a new world record of 2.04 meters.
At the 1988 Summer Olympics
in Seoul
she won the bronze medal in the high jump behind the American gold medal winner Louise Ritter
and the Bulgarian silver medallist Stefka Kostadinova
.
She received a three months ban when she tested positive for the drug ephedrine at the Goodwill Games in 1990, and missed the European Championships held later that year.
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete and Olympic medal winner. She was born in Rostov on Don, Rostov Oblast
Rostov Oblast
Rostov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Southern Federal District. Rostov Oblast has an area of and a population of making it the sixth most populous federal subject in Russia...
, Russian SFSR.
Biography
Bykova had a long and successful sport career with three world records in the high jumpHigh jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
. She won an unbelievable amount of awards and medals, especially since her biggest competitor was the German Ulrike Meyfarth
Ulrike Meyfarth
Ulrike Nasse-Meyfarth is a German former high jumper. She won the Olympic title twice, in 1972 and 1984. She is the youngest Olympic champion ever in women's high jump, and at the time of her 1984 triumph, she was also the oldest ever...
, who most often won during head-to-head competitions.
At the 1980 Summer Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
she participated in her first big international event, but with a jump of only 1.88 meters she was not in the best form. She finished in 9th place. Six weeks later she won the Soviet championship with a jump over 1.97 meters. At the 1981 World Cup in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
she and Meyfarth were the only athletes to jump over 1.96 meters, but this was only good enough for second place for Bykova as Meyfarth went on to set a new world record with a jump over 2.02 meters. At the 1982 European championship in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
she jumped 1.97 again but still finished second to Meyfarth. Then, at the 1983 European Indoor Championship in Budapest, she was finally able to jump over 2.03 meters, which won her the gold and also was a new world indoor record.
At the World Championship in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
the last two jumpers were Meyfarth and Bykova. Both had jumped over 1.99 meters, but only Bykova could manage the next height, winning at 2.01 meters. The next meeting between the two came at the European Cup in Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
The National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace in south London, England is a large sports centre and athletics stadium. It was opened in 1964 in Crystal Palace Park, close to the site of the former Crystal Palace, in the former parkland and also usurping part of the former grand prix circuit.It was...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. This time Meyfarth set a new world record by jumping over 2.03 meters, but only a few minutes later the Russian jumped over the same height, however she had needed one more attempt than the German and had to settle yet again for second place. Only four days later the two met again, this time in Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
. Once again the two were the last two jumpers. This time though, Bykova came out on top with a new world record of 2.04 meters.
At the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
she won the bronze medal in the high jump behind the American gold medal winner Louise Ritter
Louise Ritter
Louise Dorothy Ritter is a former track and field athlete from the United States, who won the gold medal in the women's high jump at the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea. This graduate from Red Oak High School now has a street named after her located in her former home town of Red...
and the Bulgarian silver medallist Stefka Kostadinova
Stefka Kostadinova
Stefka Kostadinova is a Bulgarian retired athlete and the current women's world record holder in the high jump. She is the current president of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee.-Career:...
.
She received a three months ban when she tested positive for the drug ephedrine at the Goodwill Games in 1990, and missed the European Championships held later that year.