Galina Zybina

Galina Zybina was a Soviet shot putter, born on 22 January 1931 in St. Petersburg, and died there on 10 August 2024 at the age of 93. Olympedia calls her the leading female shot putter of the 1950s. She competed at four Olympic Games for the Soviet Union and collected a full set of medals in the event: gold in 1952, silver in 1956 and bronze in 1964, with a seventh place in 1960. She also placed fourth in the javelin at the 1952 Games. She set eight world records between 1952 and 1956 and in 1953 became the first woman to throw the shot beyond sixteen metres, with 16.20 in Malmö. She won the shot put at the European Championships in 1954 and was six times Soviet champion. After her competitive career she lived with her husband in Värska, Estonia, and worked as an athletics coach.