Smetanina won the Svenska Skidspelen with the relay in 1973 and took third place with the relay at the Lahti Ski Games . At the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1974 in Falun , she won the bronze medal over 5 km and the gold medal with the relay. The following year she won the Holmenkollen Ski Festival over 5 km and over 10 km. At the Svenska Skidspelen and the Lahti Ski Games she won the relay and came second over 10 km. She also won the 5 km run at the Svenska Skidspelen. When she first took part in the Olympics in Innsbruck in 1976 , she won the silver medal over 5 km and the gold medal over 10 km and with the relay. In March 1976 she finished second at the Lahti Ski Games over 5 km and first place with the relay. The following year she won the Svenska Skidspelen and the Lahti Ski Games with the relay. At the Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti in 1978 , she won the bronze medal over 5 km and with the relay and the silver medal over 10 km. Over 20 km she was fifth. In the 1978/79 season she won the World Cups in Furtwangen , Klingenthal and Le Brassus . In addition, she triumphed again at the Holmenkollen Ski Festival in the 5 km run and was honored with the Holmenkollen Medal . She also won the Svenska Skidspelen with the relay and took second place over 20 km. In March 1979, she came in second place over 10 km and first place with the relay at the Lahti Ski Games. She finished the season in second place in the overall World Cup . At the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid , she won silver with the relay and gold over 5 km. In addition, she achieved fourth place over 10 km. In March 1980 she won the bronze medal over 20 km at the Nordic World Ski Championships 1980 in Falun. In the 1980/81 season she won the overall ranking of the cross-country skiing world cup . She won the 20 km run at Svenska Skidspelen and with the relay and the World Cups in Ramsau am Dachstein , Klingenthal, Nové Město , La Bresse and in Kawgolowo . In addition, she was Davos second over 5 km. At the Nordic World Ski Championships in Oslo in 1982 , she won silver in the relay and gold over 20 km. Over 5 km, she took 15th place.
In the 1982/83 season Smetanina reached the World Cup points five times, including second place in Lahti and thus achieved eighth place in the overall World Cup. The following season she reached six podium finishes in the World Cup. She won over 10 km in Falun . At the season highlight, the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo , she won the silver medal over 10 km and 20 km. She also achieved 11th place over 5 km and fourth place with the relay. She finished the season in second place in the overall World Cup. After eighth place in Val di Sole and sixth place in Davos at the beginning of the 1984/85 season, she won the relay gold medal at the 1985 Nordic World Ski Championships in Seefeld in Tyrol . She finished seventh over 20 km and fourth over 10 km. At the end of the season she won in Syktywkar over 20 km and reached eighth place in the overall World Cup. In the 1985/86 season she achieved third place in Oberstdorf over 20 km classic and in Kavgolovo over 10 km classic, thus taking 14th place in the overall World Cup. At the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1987 in Oberstdorf, she came in ninth place over 10 km classic and fourth place over 5 km classic. In March 1987 in Oslo she was second over 20 km classic and thus tenth in the overall World Cup. At the beginning of the 1987/88 season she achieved sixth place in Bohinj over 10 km freestyle and second place in Reit im Winkl over 5 km freestyle. At the season highlight, the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary , she won bronze over 20 km freestyle and silver over 10 km classic. Over 5 km classic, she was tenth. At the end of the season she reached sixth place in the overall World Cup. In the following season, she came in the top ten five times in the individual World Cup and finished 11th in the overall World Cup. In Falun she finished second with the season. At the Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti in 1989 , she won silver with the relay. In addition, she achieved fifth place over 10 km classic and fourth place over 15 km classic. In the 1989/90 season she took second place in Moscow over 7.5 km classic and in Lahti with the relay and reached 13th place in the overall World Cup at the end of the season. Her best individual result in the World Cup in the 1990/91 season was sixth place over 30 km classic in Minsk . At the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1991 in Val di Fiemme , she won gold with the relay and took 11th place over 5 km. In March 1991 she was second with the relay in Oslo and reached 14th place in the overall World Cup. The following year she won the gold medal with the relay at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville . She also achieved fourth place over 15 km classic there. She ran her last World Cup race in March 1992 in Vang , which she finished in 21st place over 15 km freestyle.
Smetanina won 18 times at Soviet championships, six times over 10 km (1976, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1989), four times over 20 km (1983-1986), once over 5 km (1976), once over 30 km (1983) and six times with the relay (1974, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1989). In 1984 she was honored with the Order of Friendship of Nations .
successes
winter Olympics
1976 in Innsbruck : Gold over 10 km, gold with the relay, silver over 5 km