Tatyana Ledovskaya

Sport: athletics (4x400 m relay, 400 m hurdles)

Born: 21 May 1966; Shchyokino, Tula District, Russian SFSR

Honors:

Honored master of sports of USSR.

Order of the Badge of Honour.

Career highligts:

Champion of the XXIV Olympic Games-1988 in Seoul, Republic of Korea (4x400 m relay).

Silver medalist of the XXIV Olympic Games-1988 in Seoul, Republic of Korea (400 m hurdles).

World champion in athletics in 1991, Tokyo, Japan (4x400 m relay, 400 m hurdles).

European champion in athletics in 1990, Split, Yugoslavia (400 m hurdles).

Silver medalist at the European Athletics Championships 1990, Split, Yugoslavia (4x400 m relay). 

Silver medalist of the World Cup 1989.

Bronze medalist of the European Cup 1989. 

USSR Champion 1988-1990. 

Silver medalist of the Summer Universiade 1987, Zagreb, Yugoslavia.

Three-time champion of the USSR Junior Championship.

Short biography:

Tatyana Ledovskaya was born on May, 21 1966 in Shchyokino, Tula Region. There the future Olympic champion began training under the guidance of Anatoly Baduev. The coach noticed a talented girl in a summer sports camp. In 1984 Baduev was invited to work in Minsk, where he brought his best athletes, including Tatiana Ledovskaya.

In 1988, the athlete won the USSR championship, and was selected to the USSR national team to participate in the XXIV Summer Olympic Games in Seoul. In the finals of the Games in Seoul at a distance of 400 m hurdles Tatyana Ledovskaya was leading up to the last meter and only at the finish lost one hundredth of a second to Australian athlete Debbie Flintoff-King. In order to identify the winner in this competition, the judges had to use a photo finish, where it was clearly seen that the last step of the Australian was a little bit wider than that of the Belarusian athlete.

However, Tatyana Ledovskaya still managed to win a gold medal at that Olympic Games. In the 4x400 m relay, where Tatyana started at the first stage, the Soviet team won and set a world record.

At the World Championships in Tokyo in 1991, Tatyana proved that she is a top-class athlete, winning two gold medals: in the 4x400 m relay and 400 m hurdles.

Unfortunately, at the next two Olympiads (XXV Summer Olympics in Barcelona in 1992 and XXVI Summer Olympics in Atlanta in 1996) Tatyana Ledovskaya failed to win any medals.

Retired Tatyana was working as coach of the national team and federation of athletics.