Marija Pinigina

Marija Pinigina ( Ukrainian Марія Пінігіна ., English transcription Mariya Pinigina, birth name Russian Мария Джумабаевна Кульчунова - Marija Dschumabajewna Kultschunowa - Mariya Kulchunova; * 9. February 1958 in Ivanovka , Kyrgyz SSR ) is a former Ukrainian sprinter who - for the Soviet Union starting - was successful in the 400-meter run in the 1980s and became an Olympic champion in the relay.

She won four Soviet national championship titles:

year	1978	1979	1983	1986
Time (s)	50.84	49.77	50.06	50.50

Career

She had her first international appearance when she came in 4th place in 51.25 seconds at the 1978 European Championships in Prague . However, she had to wait a long time for a European Championship medal: It was not until 1987 that she won indoor gold in Liévin, France, in 51.27 seconds. Her successful year was 1983. At the Universiade in Edmonton she won just like four years earlier in Mexico City , and at the World Championships in Helsinki in 1983 she won two bronze medals - one with the relay and one in the individual race, where she won an excellent 49, 19 s ran.

Marija Kultschunowa-Pinigina represented her country four times at cup finals and won the silver medal every time: at the World Cup in Montreal in 1979 and at the European Cup in Turin in 1979 , in London in 1983 and in Prague in 1987 .

She celebrated her greatest success at the end of her career when she won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988 with the Soviet 4 x 400 meter relay and set a new world record of 3: 15.17 minutes, which is still today is unbroken.

Placements

• Olympic Games 1988 in Seoul: Gold over 4 × 400 m in 3: 15.17 min (Kultschunowa-Pinigina as 3rd runner)
• 1983 World Championships in Helsinki: bronze over 4 × 400 m (Kultschunowa-Pinigina as the final runner), bronze over 400 m in 49.19 s behind Jarmila Kratochvílová (TCH, gold in 47.99 s) and Taťána Kocembová (TCH, silver in 48 , 59 s)
• World Championships 1987 in Rome: Silver over 4 × 400 m (Kultschunowa-Pinigina as 3rd runner)
• European Championships 1978 in Prague: fourth in 51.25 s
• European Indoor Championships 1987 in Liévin: Gold in 51.27 s ahead of Gisela Kinzel (silver in 52.29 s) and Cristina Pérez (ESP) (bronze in 52.63 s)
• World Cup 1979 in Montreal : Silver in 50.60 seconds behind Marita Koch (GDR) in 48.97 seconds and in front of Irena Szewińska (POL) (bronze in 51.15 seconds)
• European Cup 1979 in Turin : Silver in 49.63 s behind Marita Koch (DDR) (gold in 48.60 s) and in front of Irena Szewińska (POL) (bronze in 51.27 s)
• 1983 European Cup in London : Silver in 49.63 s behind Taťána Kocembová (gold in 49.33 s) and in front of Gaby Bußmann (bronze in 51.09 s)
• Europa Cup 1987 in Prague : Silver in 50.46 s behind Petra Müller (GDR) (gold in 49.91 s) and in front of Rossiza Stamenowa (BUL) (bronze in 51.23 s)
• Universiade 1979 in Mexico City : Gold in 50.35 s ahead of Rosalyn Bryant (silver in 51.35 s) and Christina Brehmer (bronze in 51.59 s)
• Universiade 1983 in Edmonton : Gold in 50.47 s ahead of Molly Killingbeck (CAN) (silver in 51.94 s) and Jelena Korban (URS) (bronze in 52.07 s)

In 2006, competitions for the Marija Pinigina Prize were held for the first time.

Web links

• Mariya Kulchunova-Pinigina in the database of World Athletics (English)
• Marija Pinigina in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )