Yolanda_Chen
Yolanda Chen
Russian athlete
Yolanda Chen (Russian: Иоланда Чен; born July 26, 1961, in Moscow) is a retired Russian athlete. She started as a pentathlete, but decided to specialize in long jump. In 1988, she achieved a personal best of 7.16 metres, a good result, but from 1992 she switched to triple jump instead, a relatively new event for women. Inspired by her father Yevgeniy Chen, who was among the world elite in the 1950s, she managed to jump 13.72 metres in 1992. Her great-grandfather was Eugene Chen.
In 1993, she improved to 14.97 metres, a new outdoor record which would also remain her personal best. Her record was beaten at the World Championships the same year by fellow Russian Anna Biryukova, who jumped 15.09m. In 1995, Chen appeared at the World Indoor Championships and won the gold medal with 15.03 metres, a new world indoor record, beating the prior record of 14.47m. She finished 11th at the World Championships the same year.
Chen married pole vaulter Yevgeniy Bondarenko. She now works as a commentator for the Russian Eurosport.
In 2023, she suggested postponing the 2024 Summer Olympics to 2025 because of controversies surrounding Russia's participation.[1]
