Iryna Yatchenko facts for kids
Iryna Yatchenko on a 2004 Belarusian stamp. She was later found to have been doping and lost the medal.
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Quick facts for kids Personal information |
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| Native name | Ірына Ятчанка | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Iryna Vasiliyevna Yatchenko | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Belarusian | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 31 October 1965 (age 59) Homel, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union |
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| Years active | 1990–2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 105 kg (231 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Soviet Union (1990–1991) Unified Team (1992) Belarus (1993–2009) |
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| Sport | Discus throw | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Trud Grodno RTsFVS Homel |
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| Turned pro | 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 69.14 m (2004) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Iryna Vasiliyevna Yatchenko was a famous Belarusian athlete. She competed in the discus throw, which is a sport where athletes throw a heavy disc as far as they can. Iryna is known for winning a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She also became a world champion in 2003.
She won another bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, but she later lost this medal. This happened because a banned substance was found in her sample during a retest. Her best throw ever was 69.14 meters, which she achieved in July 2004.
Iryna's Athletic Journey
Iryna Yatchenko was born in Gomel, a city in Belarus. She had a very long career in sports, competing at the highest level for almost 20 years. She started her international career in 1990.
Iryna competed in the Olympic Games five times. She took part in every Olympic Games from 1992 in Barcelona to 2008 in Beijing. She also competed in the World Championships in Athletics eight times, showing how dedicated she was to her sport.
Her last big competition was the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. After that, she retired from international competitions in June 2010. The National Olympic Committee of Belarus held a special event to celebrate her long and successful career. Iryna was one of the last athletes to retire who had also competed for the Soviet Union.
Iryna is married to Igor Astapkovich, who is also an Olympic medalist from Belarus. He competed in the hammer throw.
Why Iryna Lost a Medal
In 2012, sports officials retested samples from the 2004 Summer Olympics. They found that Iryna Yatchenko's sample contained a substance that was not allowed in sports. This is called doping.
Because of this, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to disqualify her results from the Athens Olympics. This meant she had to give back her bronze medal and the certificate she received. The international athletics organization (IAAF) also banned her from competing for two years. All her results from August 21, 2004, to August 20, 2006, were also canceled.
Iryna's Main Achievements
Iryna Yatchenko competed for different countries during her career: the Soviet Union (URS), the Unified Team (EUN), and Belarus (BLR). Here are some of her most important results:
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
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| Representing Soviet Union |
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| 1990 | Goodwill Games | Seattle, United States | 2nd | 67.04 m |
| European Championships | Split, Yugoslavia | 5th | 65.16 m | |
| 1991 | World Championships | Tokyo, Japan | 7th | 64.92 m |
| Representing Unified Team |
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| 1992 | Olympic Games | Barcelona, Spain | 7th | 63.74 m |
| IAAF Grand Prix Final | Turin, Italy | 3rd | Second on season's points | |
| Representing Belarus |
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| 1995 | World Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 9th | 60.48 m |
| 1996 | Olympic Games | Atlanta, United States | 12th | 60.46 m |
| 1997 | World Championships | Athens, Greece | 5th | 62.58 m |
| 1998 | European Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 8th | 61.20 m |
| 1999 | World Championships | Seville, Spain | 9th | 62.99 m |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 3rd | 65.20 m |
| 2001 | World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | 9th | 59.45 m |
| 2003 | World Championships | Paris, France | 1st | 67.32 m |
| World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 8th | ||
| 2004 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | DSQ (3rd) | 66.17 m |
| World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | DSQ (3rd) | ||
| 2006 | European Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 10th | 59.65 m |
| 2007 | World Championships | Paris, France | 10th | 62.63 m |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 11th | 59.27 m |
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | NM | No mark |
See also
In Spanish: Irina Yátchenko para niños
