Faina_Melnik
Faina Melnik
Soviet discus thrower (1945–2016)
Faina Grigorievna Veleva-Melnik (Russian: Фаина Григорьевна Велева-Мельник; Ukrainian: Фаїна Григорівна Велєва-Мельник, romanized: Faina Hryhorivna Velieva-Melnyk; née Melnik; 9 June 1945 – 16 December 2016) was a Soviet discus thrower, a 1972 Summer Olympics champion in the discus event. During her career she set 11 world records.[1][2]
 Faina Melnik at the 1972 Olympics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | Faina Grigorievna Melnik | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Soviet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 9 June 1945 Bakota, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 16 December 2016(2016-12-16) (aged 71) Moscow, Russia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 88 kg (194 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Soviet Union | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Discus throw, shot put | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Sevan Yerevan (1969–73) Spartak Moscow (1976–80) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | DT – 70.50 m (1976) SP – 20.03 m (1976) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Melnik was Jewish, and was born in Bakota, Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine.[2] At the 1972 Summer Olympics, she broke the Olympic record three times, and set a world record at 66.62 metres. She had already broken the world record, at the 1971 European Athletics Championships, representing the then Soviet Union.[3] In 1976 she had her best ever discus throw of 70.50 m, but finished only fourth at the 1976 Summer Olympics. At those Olympics she also competed in the shot put and finished tenth. She failed to reach the final in the discus event at the 1980 Games.[1]
Continuing to throw after the 1980 Olympics, she set the masters world record in the W35 division that has stood since 1980.[4]
Melnik graduated from the Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry and later worked as a dentist and athletics coach in Moscow. Her trainees include Natalya Lisovskaya and Svetlana Krivelyova. Melnik was married to Velko Velev, a Bulgarian discus thrower who also competed at the 1976 and 1980 Olympics.[1]
She later became an inspiration for Miss Trunchbull in the Roald Dahl children's book Matilda.[5]
- Faina Melnik. Sports-reference.com.
- Paul Taylor (2004). Jews and the Olympic Games: The Clash Between Sport and Politics : with a Complete Review of Jewish Olympic Medallists. Sussex Academic Press. pp. 236–. ISBN 978-1-903900-87-1.
- "Soviet Woman Sets World Discus Mark". New York Times. 13 August 1971. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- Records Outdoor Women Archived 11 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine. world-masters-athletics.org
Media related to Faina Melnyk at Wikimedia Commons- Sporting Heroes bio
- dataOlympic profile
| Records | ||
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| Preceded by | Women's Discus World Record Holder 12 August 1971 – 23 September 1972 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Women's Discus World Record Holder 25 May 1973 – 12 August 1978 |
Succeeded by |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by | Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year 1975 |
Succeeded by |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by | Women's Discus Best Year Performance 1973–1976 |
Succeeded by |
