Galina_Yermolayeva_(cyclist)
Galina Vasilievna Yermolayeva (Russian: Галина Васильевна Ермолаева; born 4 February 1937) is a retired Soviet sprint cyclist who dominated the UCI Track Cycling World Championships of 1958–1973, winning 6 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze medals.[1] Between 1956 and 1973 she also won at least 10 national titles.[2][3]
She was born in Novokhopyorsk, but after World War II her family moved to Moscow, where her father worked as a taxi driver. As a teenager she competed at the national level in cross-country skiing but then after a frostbite accident changed to cycling. Later for her cycling achievements she was given a car, a personal gift of Leonid Brezhnev.[2]
She graduated in construction engineer and later married Anatoly Vasiliev (Russian: Анатолий Серге́евич Васильев), changing her last name to Vasilieva.[2]
